Memorial Service for Dr. Fritz Guy

foreign foreign foreign foreign foreign thank you foreign foreign foreign [Music] [Music] [Music] foreign [Music] all right [Music] [Music] We Gather this afternoon with heavy hearts Heavy Hearts to say goodbye to La Sierra University's first president a man who was also a beloved family member scholar teacher colleague and friend but we also come this afternoon with hearts full of gratitude gratitude for the countless ways that Dr Fritz guy improved Our Lives and the lives of our communities he truly did make the world a better place earlier this week Dr Steve Pollock alumnus and former Provost of La Sierra University contacted me to share his regret at not being able to be here in person this afternoon because he's recovering from covid but in our conversation Steve provided an example of how Dr Guy made an indelible impact on people of why we're gathered here this afternoon Steve told me that he met Dr guy in the fall of 1974 when he enrolled in his Systematic Theology course not only did he expect me Steve told me to read and understand theologians of whom I had never before heard he also expected me to develop important habits of mind that have served me well from that time onward he taught us how to think about an idea or concept carefully systematically and with integrity he wanted us to not disguise our thoughts with too many words papers often 10 pages long that we were asked to write always had to be an outline form so that our thoughts and their logical progression thereof would be starkly evident early on in the quarter when we were still becoming acquainted with our professor Dr Guy announced that the next paper would be 10 pages long in order to adequately cover the topic one of my classmates Steve said asked 10 pages Dr Guy paused for a moment looked at the fellow student carefully pondered the moment and then said hmm you're right I don't think 10 pages is enough to cover this topic I think it should be 20. and so it was he clearly had a sense of humor but also clearly demanded Excellence from his students Steve then summarized his experience with Dr guy in a way that I suspect many of us here today both in person and online can identify with I've had the pleasure he said I've had the pleasure and privilege of studying under the guidance of many great teachers over the years but Dr Guy oh doctor guy he was an academic hero of La Sierra he changed the trajectory of my life he broadened my perspectives and changed how I think about complex questions in ways that continue to direct me now almost 50 years later and that is why many of us are gathered here today we have come to express our love our sorrow and our deep gratitude for the man who was our hero the man who changed the trajectory of Our Lives our faith communities life and our universities life broadened our perspectives and changed how we think about complex questions in ways that continue to direct us now years and I hate to admit it but for some of us decades later so this afternoon on behalf of Dr guy's family La Sierra University and this congregation welcome to the Celebration of Dr Fritz guy's life as we look back and remember I know I know that Dr Guy would also want us to look forward to look forward to the day when there will be no more death no more sorrow normal pain no more crying to the day the day when we will step alongside Dr Guy we'll link arms together and as a United group walk into eternity welcome please join me as we pray Eternal God We Gather today to reflect on the life of Dr Fritz guy we do so grateful for the willingness of Dr guy's family to share their father and grandfather with each of us we are particularly thankful to gather here in the La Sierra University Church the church that meant so much to Fritz throughout his life has he liked to often say La Sierra University it's the best place a student can study at with the finest faculty in the Adventist Church oh today we miss his voice the twinkle in his eyes and his inquisitive mind the way in which he could light up a room and bring countless groups and individuals into a clear understanding of you as a generous and loving God this afternoon as we listen to the tributes that will be shared as we celebrate his life we pray that we might be ever more willing to stand with Fritz in his embrace of those who too often do not have a voice that we would ask the creative questions that would move us ever closer to you and to one another and like our dear friend Dr Fritz guy that we might think about you in ever growing grace and hopefulness we pray this in the name of Jesus amen if you knew Fritz guy you know his life was focused on his love for God The Seventh-Day Adventist Faith La Sierra college and university and his wife and family not necessarily in that order to Dad words mattered a one-time English Major Dad chose his words carefully we all experienced this in his oral presentations prepared with every word printed out beforehand and from which he rarely went off script and also in word play phrases such as incurably Adventist and hopelessly heterosexual a phrase I never heard him use to refer to himself but which I would apply to him is persistently Progressive dad's persistent progressivism defined his career in well-known ways but it also shaped the core of who he was how he treated people and what he felt we all owed to each other both in and out of the church the story of Fritz Guy starts long before he was born with the story of the first SDA missionary in Europe not Jan Andrews but the former polish Catholic priest Michael jahovsky pretty early in his priesthood chachovsky became disillusioned with the Catholic church but was brushed off when he protested he quietly traveled to Rome and saw and received an audience with the Pope who advised him to return to his parishioners and submit to his superiors instead he returned home resigned from his post got married and moved to New England where he discovered adventism he became a minister and an evangelist working in Upstate New York after several years he approached James and Alan white with the idea to go as a sponsored missionary back to Europe they were aware of some gaps in his administrative so set so they said no go back to New York and go back to preaching he was not deterred he returned to New York but eventually sought Financial backing from the first day Adventists a different Miller Rights Act of Believers following the great disappointment of 1844. sailed to Italy crossed the Alps on foot and found himself staying in a farmhouse near Barnes Switzerland for about a year he preached in the area and wrote back regularly to the first day Adventist of his progress failing to mention to them that he was preaching a Seventh-Day Adventist message not to the first day Adventist message one of the charter member families in that first Seventh-day Adventist congregation in Europe in 1866 was the guy family including a youth named Fritz not our Frets to this day there continue to be guys working in Byrne for the European SDA Church eventually the first Fritz guy emigrated to Minnesota where he would marry and have children including George guy who was our Grandpa's father and represented the third generation of Adventists in our family history that made Grandpa a fourth generation Adventist something he was always very proud of George guy married Marie Richards who was from a Mennonite turned Adventist family George and Marie guy went on to have two sons dick in 1927 and Fritz in 1930 while in Saint Cloud Minnesota Grandpa born April 19 1930 was named for his paternal grandfather the stock market crash of 1929 and the ensuing Great Depression stopped the family watchmaking business and so George guy moved the family to Grand Rapids Michigan where he spent his remaining career as the industrial arts teacher at Union High School where he taught printing book binding and related subjects while coaching basketball on the side dad's earliest memories were from Grand Rapids growing up with elder brother dick life was hard in the depression even for someone with a steady job money was tight George worked Summers sometimes as a call Porter but mostly in a machine shop all of Dad's grandparents had died before he was born and so with George working Summers Fritz and Dick often traveled with Marie to visit the Richards side of the family who had settled in the California San Joaquin Valley now George and Marie weren't confident in the educational quality of the local one-room Adventist School in Grand Rapids so dad and uncle dick attended Public elementary schools being an Adventist Boyd in urban public school was a lonely life one of the better years was when the vendon brothers evangelism team came to Grand Rapids for a year and dad became friends with Melvin's Sons Lewis and Morris Lewis would later be a college roommate and much later a pastoral colleague the traits that Grandpa would be known for as an adult started young our proof of this is an undated handwritten note from one of his Elementary School teachers that reads dear friends there are very few that are born like you your strength of character your sense of fair play your fun-loving disposition make you the pride and pleasure of Dickinson School May manhood be the Fulfillment of all of these virtues sincerely yours Cecilia vanderbach dad a lifetime lifetime supporter of musical arts also first took up violin during grade school his teacher was Doris von ringela Stein one of the first women permitted to play in the Grand Rapids Symphony Orchestra and the preeminent violin teacher in Grand Rapids during the 30s 40s and 50s stories that may surprise those of you who knew him in adulthood those of you here today who got your first not an a class grade from Grandpa may be interested to know that he was a good arguably strong student but by no means a straight A student at least not at Burton Junior High School while he scored A's as a year and grade in all core academic subjects there were the quarter term odd B's in English and history and even once a quarter term C in physical education Grandpa also on at least one childhood occasion engaged in a bit of brawling at 14 he and some friends were accosted while walking home after school on a Thursday by a group of kids from another Street during the fight an opponent's ring clad fist caught his cheek by Sabbath morning a severe infection has set in that resulted in several days of hospitalization Grandpa credited his survival to penicillin which had only recently become available in civilian hospitals after years of public school dad was very very happy to spend his high school years as a boarding student at Cedar Lake Academy about 60 miles from home due to gas rationing at the time he would commonly hitchhike back and forth between home and Cedar Lake think about a 14 year old boy hitchhiking 60 miles for the first time Dad wasn't different at Cedar Lake he built a network of friends he would maintain throughout his lifetime he also developed both violin and vocal skills as a baritone playing and singing regularly with school groups ranging from solos to quartets to choir and Orchestra he frequently toured with the academy to churches and schools around the Great Lakes region during his junior year he edited the school newspaper the cedar log and he was editor of the cedar memories yearbook his senior year he graduated in 1948 from Cedar Lake Academy as class valedictorian and headed off to La Sierra California for college which brings us to the question why La Sierra family lived in Michigan Emmanuel missionary College was nearby Union College was a little further away but still a lot closer to his friends and family than La Sierra California the answer goes back to those childhood Summers spent visiting the Richards cousins out in California one of those cousins was Lee Richards 10 years older than my grandpa who attended college at La Sierra and then medical school at the College of medical evangelists my great grandma Marie thought that this was the right path for her oldest son dick so when he was interested in attending La Sierra she supported the idea dick wrote glowing letters home about how wonderful last year and its teachers were and Grandpa was sold so Grandpa began college at La Sierra in the fall of 1948. the Bible classes at Cedar Lake Academy had been a little boring was his word for it so he actually started as a physics major because it had been his most exciting class in high school he then briefly switched to an English major but his Direction changed completely when he happened to have a series of conversations with faculty Theologian Edward heffenstall for the rest of his career Grandpa would cut it happenstall as one of his biggest theological influences that freshman year proved to be very eventful on December 4th a Sabbath afternoon service in this very building was interrupted by a magnitude 6 earthquake originating near Palm Springs later in telling the story to my aunt Susan he declared believe me you don't want to be here during an earthquake Grandpa also joined the rescue Ramblers a vocal Ensemble he played violin frequently with his brother dick accompanying him on piano a favorite piece was meditation by Tais which Lyndon will play for us today tragedy struck the summer after his freshman year when in July his brother dick and several others died in a head-on car crash while returning to Michigan for the summer dad had gone earlier while Uncle Dick had stayed on to finish work on an issue of the criteria this severely shook dad's faith still he returned to La Sierra in the fall and continued with his studies he roomed with Glenn Foster here today for the first semester and moved into The Village at the semester break to live with his newly transplanted parents in a home on Hazel Dell Drive just up the hill from us to adjust arrived as freshmen Marcia and Lenore spect he began courting Marcia and was soon invited to their Garden Grove home to meet their family following Sabbath services two events occurred at that first family meal either of which could have stopped any further relationship between my grandparents on the spot the first was Grandpa making an offhand comment about the morning Sabbath School Superintendent who was too short to be seen or seen over the podium not realizing that he was talking about his Hostess and future mother-in-law she was small in nature but very much another in dispossession and perhaps their Aunt Lenore remembers how he recovered from that foot in the mouth moment following dinner the men retired to the living room where Dad was interrogated by Mom's father Oswald of central German and German from Russian Mennonite stock as to his background and suitability to continue abiding a relationship with his daughter upon learning that dad's mom was a Mennonite Richards from North Dakota Grandpa Oswald bolted from the room and busied himself in his office for an extended period you see Grandpa knew that one of his grandmothers was also a Dakota Richards and as a physician and father he needed to be sure that an inappropriate degree of inbreeding wasn't a risk here Grandpa Oswald eventually returned having reassured himself that a potential marriage between second cousins once removed was biologically acceptable having received approval from both of mom's parents to pursue a relationship mom and dad did so it was only a much later that Dad learned that La Sierra was founded by Mom's great uncle Jay nethery over strenuous objections from the general conference at the time Elder nethery was proudly known within the family even until very recently as Uncle Jay leathery would later retire as a vice president of well it's probably not the same general conference as the one that turned him down but it was the same organization anyway in early 1951 Grandpa was selected by La Sierra College to be its representative to attend the upcoming first of its kind International Paris youth conference this was a remarkable honor that required Grandpa to make numerous presentations before but especially after the trip he appeared in a film produced by the general conference about the Congress that was widely shown throughout the world in SDA churches and institutions then in the summer of 1952 Grandpa graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in ministerial studies and began working as a young pastoral intern and evangelist in the low desert and along the San Diego coast meanwhile Grandma completed her BS in nursing and earned her RN degree in 1954. they were married in December of 1954. grandpa had already saw and obtained permission from the conference to study for a year at the SDA Theological Seminary in Washington DC to earn an M.A in religion so they immediately moved to Washington during that time a seminary Grandpa came to the attention of the editor of the youth's instructor which would be succeeded by Insight magazine in the 1960s and was recruited to work as an assistant and then an associate editor upon completion of his M.A work dad worked for a couple of years at the instructor and then decided that he needed yet further education so he enrolled in a bachelor of divinity program at the Seminary and was engaged in that study when the general conference president and His Infinite Wisdom decided that Seminary needed to move somewhere anywhere now at this time there was no plan and no plan for a plan but annual meetings were underway when he made this announcement lots of church leadership was present but they had no plan that evening sensing a rare opportunity the Emanuel missionary College president got busy an overnight assembled a large poster map of his campus and announced to the assembled brother in the next evening we will put Seminary Hall here on our campus it was the only plan it was approved later one commonly repeated justification for the move was the weather is better in Berrien Springs than in Washington D.C was likely dad's first jolt of reality about church administrators while in DC Grandpa and Grandma's first two children were born my Aunt Linda in 1958 and my dad in 1959. in 1960 Grandpa was invited to return to La Sierra College as a theology instructor and the college was willing to wait until mid-1961 when his Seminary studies would be complete in the spring of 1961 my aunt Susan was born and in June the family headed to California in a VW Bug Linda and Richard were bundled up and tucked into the back atop piles of clothing and as a newborn Susan wrote on my grandma's lap while Grandpa drove dad's inaugural stint as a faculty member lasted three years from 61 to 64. during that time his thirst for knowledge continued and he applied for a doctoral program at the University of Chicago Divinity School after his acceptance he sought and received funding from several prestigious foundations and obtained the leap of absence from La Sierra so in 1964 the family moved to the south side of Chicago for what would be four years of graduate coursework and initial work with his major Professor Langdon Gilkey while Dad was his student Gilkey published shantung compound about his Memoirs and experiences in an internment camp in China and World War II which included befriending Eric Liddell the athlete highlighted in the film Chariots of Fire Chicago is where the three children started their education in the local neighborhood public school and it was where grandpa taught his kids how to make snow angels after a January blizzard dropped two feet of snow on Chicago over in Michigan in the better weather Andrews received 30 inches of snow more than double the deepest snow to ever fall on DC Grandpa returned to La Sierra in mid-1968 where he resumed his faculty position while still working on finishing his doctoral dissertation the Summers of 1969 and 1970 were devoted to writing as much as possible but with three kids under 12 off from school and his wife working full-time as a nurse grandpa had his hands fall he established two rules related to his dissertation one when he was writing the children were not to bother him unless someone was bleeding or the house was on fire two if the house was on fire take the one copy of the dissertation draft with you as you leave the most current copy of the dissertation was kept on a shelf near the front door to facilitate this and of course because this was before personal computers were widely available the dissertation was typed on an electronic typewriter that my grandpa had very proudly purchased in 1967. so Dad did manage to complete his dissertation despite the um aforementioned children at home and he graduated in December 1971. rather than traveling back to Chicago to attend his own Graduation Services alone he instead spent about the same amount of money to buy his own graduation regalia thinking it was a better use of funds he had no idea that he would wear it nearly 100 times at the start and end of each Academic Year for five decades into the future during these years are they bought four bikes the car went with Grandma to her nursing job the rest of the family rode around on bikes including Grandpa who for nine years peddled his brown Schwinn bicycle to the University campus with his briefcase in the rear basket on top of his work as a full-time Professor Grandpa who had a lifelong love of learning took a chemistry course he hadn't had a chance to take it in high school and wanted to expand his area of knowledge Grandpa also enjoyed playing the violin in the University Orchestra during these years and his kids attended most if not all of these concerts he also regularly invited his classes over for Friday night Vespers at his home evenings consisted of singing a short talk more singing and then ended with brownies and lime Sherbert punch after two years as an associate Dean in 1974 he was appointed dean of the College of Arts and Sciences one of his first tasks was to reduce faculty ftes and he was paying to make what he called least worst decisions in determining who would lose their employment this included a neighbor whose children were classmates of ours these decisions weighed heavily on him but he never discussed them at home in the mid-1970s grandpa was approached by some former students who had formed a group called Seventh-day Adventist kinship to support lgbtq church members at a time when the lgbtq community had markedly few straight allies inside or outside of the church Grandpa was driving to Palm Desert to preach on Sabbath morningings and Pastor to the community in 1977 he was invited to join the faculty of the Adventist Theological Seminary at Andrews University which he accepted that first winter at the Seminary was eventful dad had just learned how to use the word processing software on the University Mainframe but that also meant that he had to work at his office aside from leaving mom feeling very much like a computer Widow this proved particularly challenging during winter break because custodians turned off the building Heat at the end of finals week as a cost-saving measure Seminary Hall gradually grew chillier and chillier as the break proceeded dad came home very frustrated one day that he couldn't type more than 10 minutes at a time before his fingers refused to work in the near freezing temperature of his office he couldn't even use a pen for markup on hard copy because the ink wouldn't flow one of Grandpa's favorite activities at the Seminary was participating in a faculty and Friends Sabbath School class he found a discussion to be an immensely exciting and stimulating opportunity in which to think and discuss theology with his peers he would experience the same feeling in his first guy and Friends class in 1980 the Andrews University president invited Grandpa to serve on a committee to assist the general conference in a much needed rewrite of the church's statement of fundamental beliefs which would eventually be presented at the 1980 General Conference session for review Grandpa was quickly enlisted as Secretary of the Au committee from which humble position he crafted the new draft is 27 items while it could have been just about any number from 20 to 30. he liked the trinitarian numerology of three raised to the power of three and so for 25 years the denomination had 27 fundamental beliefs but he was most proud of the Preamble which specifically noted that the document was descriptive of 19 eras 1980s era adventism and not prescriptive of what Adventists should be 1980 was a big year for Grandpa in August he was in attendance along with Larry Garrity and Jim Cox at the first SDA kinship camp meeting having been invited by his friend Ron Lawson Grandpa went on to serve as an informal and later formal member of kinships straight Advisory Board and became a longtime Ally as Seventh-day Adventist kinship he would also go on to become a board member and financial supporter of the Inland AIDS project for two decades he considered it his duty as a minister to provide spiritual food for this community and so he did days after camp meeting Grandpa also participated in a retreat at Glacier View to interact with Desmond Ford about his novel views on the sanctuary Doctrine which had been a distinctive part of Adventist belief for over a century Grandpa's colleagues were assured by Church leadership that this was to be a purely academic conversation and in no way an Inquisition after the academics departed leadership convened and demanded that Ford be fired and stripped of his ministerial credentials this done to the other Retreat participants including my grandpa and was the second major crack in Grandpa's perception of denomination leadership in 1984 following a change of leadership at the Seminary dad accepted an offer by Lewis vendon to come to the Loma Linda University Church as philosopher and residence to succeed as friend and Mentor Jack provancha in 1990 following the decision at Loma Linda University to reverse the 23 year old merger between Loma Linda and La Sierra dad was invited to lead La Sierra University as its first president he led La Sierra through its early years as an independent University but despite his repeated roles over the years as an academic administrator dad's heart remained in the classroom so three years into his presidency he announced his intention to return to teaching full time dad continued to teach for another 15 years finally retiring in 2018. coincidentally this was the same year as my sister Susan's retirement over his career dad worked both publicly and behind the scenes to encourage women in Ministry and in particular ordination of women in Ministry locally he promoted the ordination of Madeleine haldem and Hallie Wilson and Cheryl McMillan in 1995 in this conference and for two of those ladies this church he encouraged the recruitment of Kendra haloviak to the Divinity School faculty here Kendra was also one of the first crop of women ordinations on the East Coast at the same time actually I think Kendra your ordination preceded the ones here by a few days or a couple of weeks or something and Dad pushed strongly for Sandy Roberts and Chris oberg to be invited into the various pastoral and administrative roles in which they have served the community and local and Union conferences for the past several decades along with Grandpa's teaching he authored more than 80 published articles as well as his major book thinking theologically published in 1999 with Brian ball he co-authored God sky and land published 2011 God land in the great flood 2017 and God Genesis in the good news published of 2019. he also co-edited meeting the secular mind in 1985 understanding Genesis published 2006 and Christianity and homosexuality published in 2008. he regarded as his major theological influences Edward heppenstall at La Sierra Earl helgert at The Seventh-Day Adventist Theological Seminary and Langdon gelke at the University of Chicago persistently Progressive Grandpa was as engaged with the church and its future outside the classroom as he was inside of it he loved the church and La Sierra deeply and he summarized his stance succinctly when he said as you've probably all heard at least once the best way to be human is to be a person of faith and the best way to be a person of faith is to be Christian and the best way to be Christian is to be Adventists and the best way to be Optimist is to be at La Sierra but his love for the church never meant ignoring its faults quite the opposite he always pushed for greater inclusion and he personally practiced the maxim think globally act locally Grandpa's family was as important to him as his theological Ministry throughout his marriage he was a devoted husband after the family returned to La Sierra he began a tradition of bringing Grandma flowers every Friday sometimes the flowers were from a grocery store or florist other times they came from the home Garden my grandma stayed in a rehab facility first after a broken hip and then after a minor stroke Grandpa drove 30 to 45 minutes every day and sometimes twice a day to visit her he was immensely proud of his children and their descendants and he passed his love of teaching reading and learning down to the success of generations Grandpa and Grandma both read extensively books were common gifts for kids and grandkids on birthdays and Christmas in later years when he wasn't always sure what types of books his grandkids like to read Barnes and Noble gift cards became Grandpa's standard for gift giving his children and grandchildren continue to be Avid readers and more than a few have become teachers as well in addition to books Mom and Dad loved the Arts Modern Art hung in every room of the house on any wall not already covered by Dad's many many bookcases they also shared a love for music evidenced in part by their loyal attendance at just about every LSU music department concert after mom's passing in 2006 our family established a musical scholarship in her honor awarded every year to the winner of the University concerto competition perhaps slightly less well-known value of grand Pez was neatness if you ever saw him read you know that he did it with a ruler and a pen so that his underlines would be perfectly straight he also had a very organized filing system every file with a typed label every sermon article class he taught and every type of Bill he needed to pay had their own separate file when he arranged a tablecloth he would use a tape measure to make sure it was perfectly centered and straight on the table keycap2 tape measures in the dining room buffet for this exact purpose similarly from a young age his children were enlisted to help keep the front yard tidy with regular weeding and mowing chores because Grandpa wanted a tidy yard but he did not particularly enjoy yard work Grandpa was also proudly left-handed and often claimed it was a sign of superior intelligence unlike the majority of his family Who Loved chocolate Grandpa adamantly believed vanilla was the only acceptable ice cream flavor he often joked that God made vanilla ice cream and stopped there all other flavors were human failures to improve upon the original creation when the kids were young and the family made the rare fast food stop the order was for four chocolate shakes and one vanilla following the death of his beloved wife in 2006 Grandpa continued to live alone in their home until mid-2022 when he moved into an assisted living facility in Longview Washington near where my Aunt Linda and Uncle Scott have lived for three decades he was gracious cooperative and appreciative of all of the help he received from the caretakers at the Canterbury Inn he was also one of the staff's favorite residents because they all enjoyed talking to him and his uniquely expansive vocabulary in July 2023 Dad passed following a sudden cardiac event which occurred while Linda was present in assisting with a phone call from his dear friend Patty Cabrera Fritz is survived by his three children Linda myself and Susan as well as six grandchildren two great-grandchildren and countless students around the world thank you [Music] foreign [Music] thank you [Music] foreign [Music] foreign [Music] foreign [Music] [Music] thank you [Music] thank you [Music] foreign [Music] foreign [Music] came to me appropriately enough via a text from Spectrum editor Alexander Carpenter appropriately because Fritz is the one person whose name has appeared on the Masthead of every issue of spectrum for the past 54 years he was there as an assistant editor at the birth of the journal in 1969 along with two associate editors and editor molaris caparis four years later the team had morphed and Fritz became an associate editor the only associate editor and a couple of years later when molaris caparis decided his editorship time was over the journal production moved from Loma Linda to Tacoma Park and since Fritz's work on the journal was a volunteer position that he held at the same time he was teaching at Loma Linda University's La Sierra campus it was time for him to concentrate his efforts on his career he was taking on administrative duties at La Sierra as the academic Dean but he remained on spectrum's editorial board and contributed frequently as an author writing on theology time the sanctuary evanist hope the 27 fundamental beliefs that he had helped to draft the relationship between science and religion among other topics his essays were always noteworthy and two were included in the books of collected essays that evidence form published in the 1980s one on the Sabbath and the other on the second coming serendipitously the day after I received the text from Alexander a familiar name popped up in my email box Mary Kay McLeod whom I had not heard from in several years wrote to me and asked for more than just obit information about Fritz they had become friends over the years and she wanted to know more he was the most encouraging person I have ever known Mary Kay told me he had written to her after her lawsuit against Pacific press for Equal Pay saying she was a blessing to men as well as women because of her lawsuit and the two had stayed in touch over the years Fritz's gift of encouragement was extended to organizations as well as to people thus his longtime presence on spectrum's Masthead for years after I started editing the journal I had a standing brunch appointment with him during the annual meetings of the Adventist Society for religious studies he wanted to hear all the latest Spectrum news how was fundraising going where the Brethren giving me a hard time he had ideas for stories so suggestions for writers and wanted to know what topics we were pursuing he also always asked about my family and how editing fit with the life of a mother of a young child he was similarly supportive of SDA kinship as his family noted the lgbtq plus affirming Organization for current and former Seventh-Day Adventists he served on the organization's Advisory board for many years so when kinship approached Spectrum about publishing a book on the Christian perspectives on homosexuality Fritz was chosen to co-edit the book along with David Ferguson and David Larson it was in writing for that volume that I experienced his editorial encouragement he listened to me describe what I planned to say in my essay and then help me reshape it into something more coherent it was an insightful conversation about the ideas I was trying to gather together and I appreciated his help he knew how to listen and ask good questions and that led to an improved essay with Fritz long conversations didn't just stretch out over a lunch hour they could go on for years for instance he was part of an informal monthly gathering at the home of his friend Dr Brian bull then dean of the Loma Linda University School of Medicine friends theologians and scientists gathered to share their research thoughts and questions about issues of faith and science contacts for biblical passages was one topic that was examined the people of ancient times hear the story of Genesis what scientific assumptions do contemporary people make when reading the story now that would never have occurred to the Hebrews in biblical times after long discussions about this approach to reading Genesis Fritz and Brian decided to put their conversations down on paper and three books blossomed first God sky and land Genesis 1 as the ancient Hebrews heard it then came God land and the great flood hearing the story with 21st century ears and finally God Genesis and good news God the misreading of Genesis and the surprisingly good news there was always good news in what Fritz wrote hoped for a better day he talked of progressive truth in such an engaging manner he made you happy to be an Adventist he left you feeling good about the great Advent hope in the afterward to their second book Fritz and Brian closed with the hymn of benediction by Thomas troyger praise the source of faith and learning because it so beautifully captures the spirit of Fritz's writing I'll close with that too praise the source of faith and learning that has sparked and stoked the mind with a passion for Discerning how the world has been designed let the sense of wonder flowing from the Wonders we survey keep our faith forever growing and renew our need to pray god of wisdom we acknowledge that our science and our art and the breadth of human knowledge only partial truth in part far beyond our calculation lies a depth we cannot sound where your purpose for creation and the pulse of Life are found May our faith redeem the blunder of believing that our thought has displaced the grounds for wonder which the ancient prophets taught May our learning curb the error which unthinking faith can breed lest we justify some Terror with an Antiquated Creed as two currents in a river fight each other's undertow till converging they deliver one coherent steady flow blend oh God our faith in learning till they carve a single course till they join as one returning praise and thanks to you their source praise for Minds to probe the heavens praise for strength to breathe the air praise for all that beauty leavens praise for silence music prayer praise for justice and compassion and for strangers neighbors friends praise for hearts and lips to Fashion praise for Love That Never Ends foreign sky was exactly a decade older than I the older brother I never had he finished Seminary the year before I started so I missed him there but I learned about what a gifted scholar he was from our church history Professor Kenneth strand for whom we both published our first scholarly articles during that time in Andrews University Seminary studies his on the Lord's Day in Ignatius and mine on the Passover in qumran we learned more about each other in grad school he at Chicago and I at Harvard when we both got involved in helping to start Spectrum the Journal of the association of Adventist forums he finished his dissertation the year before I did five years after I began teaching at the seminary's Old Testament department at Andrews Fritz began teaching there for the Systematic Theology Department it is during those seven years when we were colleagues that we really became close friends in fact we were closely involved in at least five different endeavors first as you have heard the writing of the 27 Adventist fundamental beliefs right through their adoption at the 1980 General Conference session in Dallas Fritz was Secretary of the committee and the number 27 and their order was his decision their advantage over the current revised statements was that we used biblical language to describe our beliefs while the revisions adopted under the Ted Wilson Administration inserted interpretive extra biblical fundamentalist language the subsequent and secondly the subsequent and painful Glacier View Sanctuary Review Committee with Des Ford in Colorado Fritz was one of three Scholars who drafted the now famous consensus statement and felt betrayed when it was ignored third we were two of the three invites by Adventist kinship to their first annual camp meeting in Arizona where we began our interest in and fellowship with our gay friends fourth was the involvement with our Adventist scholarly colleagues in the formation of the Adventist Society for religious studies which is met yearly ever since with the annual Society of biblical literature and American Academy of religion Fritz being one of our first presidents fifth a consistent and public support for our female colleagues in Ministry including their ordination to the gospel Ministry the association of Adventist women honored Fritz with their champion of Justice award he Illustrated that support for women in the way he demonstrated his love and care for his beloved wife Marsha Fritz left the Seminary faculty in 1984 a year before I did both casualties of the noted pharaoh of The Exodus well I was at Atlantic Union College and he was at the lomeland University Church we kept in close touch on matters of mutual interest it had been since 1993 when it is strong urging I succeeded him at La Sierra University that we became the closest in France I bought into his founding vision for the University his passion for an authentic liberal arts-based University education one that was intellectually grounded and spiritually sustained by an Adventist ethos along with many others such as the Denny Smith he led in the development of an interdisciplinary general education program a robust honors program and laid the foundation of an expanded campus all the time providing political and philosophical insights which endeared him to both faculty and students the only University Professor Lassie over has ever had which allowed him to teach in any Department he busied himself with research writing and publication in every mind he had become Mr La Sierra I was involved in two of the honors he received an honorary doctorate from La Sierra in 2002 in the Charles wendiger award for excellence in 2009. when Randall wisby became president he graciously invited Fritz and me to occupy seats of Honor each year at commencement among his many campus friends and supporters I think Gary chardier and Christine kales deserve special mention for several years I was honored to be involved with Fritz in meetings of at least four regularly scheduled organizations first was the weekly on Sabbath mornings the last air University Church here liturgical service for which he wrote the Liturgy along with Bob Dunn and Paul Mallory second weekly following that the fritz guy and Friends Sabbath school which met at the Alumni Center until coveted forces to go online and he often called that the highlight of his week third weekly on Thursday mornings was the dead profit Society with Ron Grable Jonathan Butler Gil Valentine fourth monthly the third Friday night of each month as you've heard with his close friend and fellow author Brian Bowles Arrowhead Society an organization where we discuss topics of Science and religion at his home until Brian's death for several years I used to pick Fritz up and drive him over to Loma Linda for this as we all know Fritz was an enthusiastic man of faith he often said as you've already heard if you're going to have faith you should be a Christian and if you're going to be a Christian you should choose adventism and if you're an Adventist there's no better place to be than La Sierra he was an Adventist who valued present truth he always had at the ready a series of quotations from Ellen White that he loved to quote one of his favorites committed to memory was from the fifth volume of the testimonies quote Peter exhausts exhorts his Brethren to grow in Grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ whenever the people of God are growing in Grace they will be constantly obtaining a clear understanding of his word they will discern new light and Beauty in its sacred truths this has been true in the history of the church in all ages and thus it will continue to the end but as real spiritual life declines it has ever been the tendency to cease to advance in the knowledge of the truth men rest satisfied with the light already received from God's word and discourage any further investigation of the scriptures they become conservative and seek to avoid discussion the fact that there is no controversy or agitation among God's people should not be regarded as as conclusive evidence that they are holding fast to sound Doctrine there is reason to fear that they may not be clearly discriminating between truth and error when no new questions are started by investigation of the scriptures when no difference of opinion arises which will set men to searching the Bible for themselves to make sure that they have the truth there will be many now as in ancient times who will hold your tradition and worship they know not what School Fritz said as you have heard that his last year Professor Ted happenstall was the most important influence in his intellectual development he quoted his professor as saying it is dangerous to think but more dangerous not to think in an interview he did shortly before his death he said quote working for the church has been a privilege honor and sometimes a challenge it has been a good life I have never had another employer and I'm happier with adventism now than I was 50 years ago it has been a process of maturing as with all of us here I already miss my friend Fritz and so will the church he loved he was unquestionably one of its ableist theologians go in peace dear friend thank you [Music] thank you foreign [Music] foreign [Music] foreign [Music] foreign [Music] thank you [Music] thank you [Music] foreign [Music] as a gifted thinker writer philosopher theologian and there's more Dr guy could have easily and understandably focused his talents and efforts exclusively towards a career in writing he could have published countless books aimed at teaching and touching the masses instead he chose to spend a significant part of his career as a teacher in the classroom to make a difference one student at a time I was one of those students throughout my graduate school education at the HMS Richards Divinity School then called the La Sierra University School of religion I had the privilege of experiencing firsthand Dr guy's brilliance and his profound passion for God for teaching for living graciously and generously I was moved by his gentle nudging as he liked to call it to think theologically carefully and compassionately I was persuaded by his compelling and contagious conviction that God loves us unconditionally and to quote him there isn't a darn thing we can do about it I learned these things and more even as I shouldered the weight of academic insecurity especially in writing sometime prior to taking my first class from Dr guy I had been told by a teacher's assistant at a different University that I ought to give up on writing even though I had good ideas her words cut deeply but Dr guys love and belief in me went deeper still unmoved by my lack of writing skills he focused on my desire to learn and to articulate my ideas and hunches reminding me often to just write Patty I can't think for you but I can't help with your writing so I did I wrote and I wrote and rewrote sometimes up to seven drafts for a final 20 page paper he later told me that he used to grade my rough drafts in blue ink because he felt I might find the sheer volume of red ink demoralizing highness grade in my first class with Dr Guy and I improved by half a grade with each subsequent class until I earned my first a my final paper from this class which he hand delivered to my home would later be published in Spectrum magazine it was a full circle moment for me and a powerful example of what a great great teacher can inspire I couldn't have known on the first evening of class 28 years ago this month that the learning adventure of a lifetime had begun and with it a profound lifelong and life-changing friendship over the many years and typically over a meal of cheese and chiladas or while consuming a Shameless number of glazed donuts and maple bars we spent countless hours talking about God and the gospel how God came near in the person of Jesus Christ so that we would know what true love looks like and feels like Dr guy wanted everyone to know that God is love and he often quoted Philippians saying there's nothing we can do to make God love us more and there's nothing we can do to make God love us less it's just the way it is and when he was feeling particularly feisty which was often he would add so deal with it we talked about life and living well he used to say things like guilt is a waste of time and does no one any good and just do your best all you can do is all you can do and all you can do is enough he would say spend your life doing the kinds of things that bring you Joy and satisfaction things you find interesting and meaningful he liked to remind me that organized religion despite its flaws is often responsible for our most meaningful relationships and look at us here how true this is he said the church is you and me it's our friends it's her family's and that he and that spending time in these communities and I quote sharing our UniQue Ideas perspectives and experiences with one another is more rewarding rich and authentic than thinking on our own could ever be we spoke about love and relationships after my mother I told Dr Guy that I was in a committed relationship and deeply in love with my now wife Sonia cevallos he was predictably supportive kind gracious and curious he asked lots of questions and together we marveled at the mystery and wonder at the beauty and diversity of love and sexuality Through The Years Dr Guy formed a deep relationship connection and friendship with Sonia as well and often like to remind me Patty if you and Sonia were to ever break up that would just be dumb I was with me with us through most of life's major events and everything in between weddings funerals birthdays and graduations he was with us on the day our precious twins Olivia and Jackson guy named after him were born and later alongside our brave and bright and beautiful Pastor Chris oberg dedicated them right here in this church doctor guys impact in my life is immeasurable he has left an indelible Mark upon my heart there is no doubt that the world is a better place because of Dr guy that The Seventh-Day Adventist Church is better because of Dr Guy we are better because of Dr Guy because he gave voice to so many of us because he helped us sort out and sharpen our thoughts as well as discover things anew because of how he lived and loved because of his infectious enthusiasm for life and learning because of his stubborn belief in a God that loves each one of us unconditionally and because of his unshakable confidence that there is more good than bad in the and I don't think it is an exaggeration when I say that every conversation I shared with Dr Guy ended with him saying life is good as always and especially today I am filled with gratitude for having had the honor and the privilege of learning at the feet of this gentle giant he was an extraordinary man a remarkable and Unforgettable human being his words and ways were like the sunrise full of Hope promise color and endless possibilities it is hard to imagine life without him still I know his magnificent light cannot be contained or overshadowed by Death it continues to light the way by his countless good works by his words spoken and written and through the lives of his beautiful family his children and his grandchildren for whom he was gushingly proud of and through each one of us lucky enough to have been touched by his goodness and Grace some years into our friendship he began to sign his emails and his green cards to us with love Grandpa guy so I will end now by saying until we see you again Grandpa guy professor mentor friend and chosen family may you rest [Music] Jesus I love it I know [Music] Thou Art mine [Music] my creations [Music] my savior [Music] forever [Music] my Jesus is now [Music] I love you because I asked first love it me and purchased [Music] [Applause] [Music] once [Music] if ever [Music] my Jesus [Music] I will love thee in death and embrace me as long [Music] foreign [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] and endless life [Music] face [Music] my Jesus [Music] well good afternoon everyone it's great to be here if imitation is the greatest form of flattery then I have flattered for its guy because I imitated him in a number of ways the things I admired about Fritz were his scholarly accidents and his effective teaching as a scholar his work was informed thoughtful and creative as a teacher his work was informative organized and clear theology as Fritz described it was consistent with the Bible clear in its explanations constructed in his proposals creative in its Reflections and inspiring in its expressions you can understand why it was a challenge to write papers for him okay his thought exemplified these qualities in remarkable ways he insisted that theology must pay attention to three components first of all it must be biblically faithful second it must speak to our cultural situation and third it must Express appreciation for our Adventist heritage now Fritz's thought exemplified these qualities in remarkable ways he was a diligent serious Bible student it was a committed Adventist he was also aware of the distinctive qualities of the culture in which we live that is the various challenges Believers face and possible ways to meet them in 1964 Fritz moved to Chicago with his wife and their three children in order to pursue a doctorate in theology at the University of Chicago Divinity School while there he took a number of challenging classes from professors who were well known in their various fields they remembered him years later as one of the best students they ever had the director of his doctoral dissertation was Langdon Gilkey widely read and highly respected theologian I found out that Fritz was originally interested in writing on the Sabbath but he wound up instead examining the various ways certain Christian theologians dealt with the topic of time so I guess Sabbath and time do get together the particular value of a place like Chicago was the way the modern world the world in which we live with its distinctive characteristics was taken very seriously so unless we confront the challenges to Faith that arise in our own time our witness to the world will not be effective I was delighted when I got to Chicago to find that Fritz had made a very impressive impression on people there and one time in a conversation of really a private conversation with the dean of the Divinity School he remarked that Fritz guy an Adventist theologian was one of the most outstanding doctoral students they had had in recent years if imitation is a serious sincerest form of flattery well then I was someone who flattered Fritz rather extensively I went to college at La Sierra as he did I majored in theology as he had I pursued a graduate degree in theology at the University of Chicago Divinity School following him and after that I returned to the glossier campus of Loma Linda University and uh joined the religion faculty which he was part of at the time so one step after another I was just following along as he had done I required theological outlines from our students in classes in theology we dealt with five major doctrines doctrine of God doctrine of humanity doctrine of salvation doctrine of the church doctrine of last things and they had to be in outline forms so the comprehensiveness of the paper was visible to anybody looking at it so we had to outline it and he could easily see whether or not we had covered all the topics um I wrote papers totaling 130 pages for about three hours of lower division academic credit because it was it was intimidating to say the least and rewarding in many ways because when I returned from graduate school to teach theology at what was then Loma Linda University La Sierra campus I required the same sort of explanations from my students and they responded very much as I had to the idea that this was really unrealistic and uh then I as some of my students found as those of us who wrote theological outlines for Fritz guy they were demanding at the time and yet very helpful later on when they attended the Seminary I had one of my students who'd been to the Seminary come back and say that the papers he wrote for the theology classes here at La Sierra enabled him to sail through some of his classes back at the Seminary so sometimes it takes a while to appreciate what you've been put through at times now over the years Fritz wrote numerous articles for both Scholars and general readers his work on the nature and purpose of theology was published by Andrews University press in 1999 under the title thinking theologically Adventist Christianity and the interpretation of faith now though it was designed for a general audience or readership it deals with a number of crucial issues related to the appropriate method for theology the last chapter explains why tripolar thinking is essential and it discusses the three elements that must go in to responsible theological reflection faithfulness to the Bible awareness of where we are standing in our culture in Modern Times And sensitivity to the way in which the gospel has been interpreted ever since its beginning now a year or so after the book was published it received a glowing review from the associate editor of the review and Herald Adventist review as it was called then Roy Adams under the title in a time of confusion Adams describes the book as a work of art that doesn't have a single boring page and the first book of its kind within the Adventist Church and the product of a theologian who makes sense theologians who make sense well for many would say that is a contradiction of terms but his search for clarity and profundity was fulfilled in that his work as a scholar and teacher expresses a profound commitment to the gospel an understanding of the modern world and confidence that Adventist theology can express the central concerns of our community in ways that are faithful to the gospel responsive to the challenges of the world in which we live and presents our picture as a people of faith in short Fritz guy was both an intellectual Christian and a Christian intellectual he embraced the Adventist understanding of the Christian message in ways that were both sensitive to and responsive to the challenge of the Contemporary world Fritz was both a mentor and a model I'll always be grateful for the contribution that he has made to the church and to me thank you the first time I met Dr Fritz guy I was 12. he always thought we first met the next year at a Colorado Camp named Glacier View Ranch but it was actually the year before I remember because my dad was so nervous it would be his first time speaking at the Adventist Society for religious studies a professional Society made up of pastors and Bible teachers and theologians that meet each year was so nervous he'd been researching his paper for months and had practiced it over and over our family rode with him from Maryland to New York City in support and when we walked into the meeting place my dad introduced my mother my brother and me to Dr Guy one of the big names at this event that made my dad so nervous and I remember Dr Guy stopped everything to engage us even my brother and me 9 and 12 year old kids he welcomed us he asked us questions he seemed genuinely interested in us I remember thinking these theologians aren't so scary Fritz believed in a god of Grace a god of radical welcome whose welcome knows no bounds a God who will not let us go not now not ever and Fritz's view of God shaped his life it shaped his love of La Sierra's Heritage of justice and inclusion it shaped the theology behind his commitment to women in Ministry it shaped his affirmation and support of LGBT people it shaped his creation of our liturgical worship Services his view of God shaped his scholarship his sermons his Sabbath School classes his contributions to committees and faculty meetings he really believed in a god of Grace a god of radical welcome between the decision of The Seventh-Day Adventist World Church in July of 1995 against allowing the ordination of women and the ordination of three women that took place at Sligo church in September of that same year between those months Fritz wrote an article for spectrum that argued that the Gospel of Jesus Christ the gospel of Jesus Christ as well as our heritage as Seventh-Day Adventists called for action he concluded that article with these words quote ordaining women in Ministry is a moral imperative that we must obey without any further delay end quote looking up Fritz's words yesterday I I found a photo included in spectrum that I'd completely forgotten about that day at Sligo there was an unplanned moment at that ordination service immediately after the prayer of ordination as the choir prepared for the anthem spontaneously the three women had a brief group hug and in the photograph that caught that moment Fritz is standing on the platform looking at the three of us now I believe I believe he is emotional but I can't tell for sure I can't quite read his facial expression I have the picture with me you can help me how I wish I'd found that picture earlier and asked him his memories of that moment during this past year I've attended several ordination Services of women Pastors in this conference and what was remarkable about these Services is how unremarkable they were that the focus was not on the gender of the pastor but on the pastor's Ministry on their congregation's affirmation of that Ministry and on the goodness of God I imagine some some young adults here wondering why I'm going on and on about all of this you've been seeing ordinations of your women pastors all your lives it is because of people like Fritz guy reading and wrestling and thinking and writing and standing up being curious and committed it's because of people like Fritz guy that our church becomes more like the community God wants us to be The Seventh-Day Adventist denomination in the La Sierra Community have been blessed that Fritz walked these grounds for so long and made the commitment to it and to us that he chose this community from which to preach and teach and live believing in a gracious God of radical welcome the last few years we've noticed that with age came the repetition of stories and lapses in memory while at times His Brilliant theological insights still shown through at other times at other times we witnessed a dimming of that light that inspired us for so long and that we couldn't really imagine not always being with us years ago Fritz made me promise that I would tell him when it was time for him to stop teaching and there came a time as interim dean of general education that I spoke with him about how he might shift from teaching to mentoring his younger colleagues in the faith and science classes those nsci classes that he loved so much so that even well into his 80s Fritz continued to teach and Mentor us he challenged us to keep asking the tough questions he affirmed younger colleagues by asking us to keep him updated on the latest books in our fields he continued to be curious and committed and through the witness of his life as a long obedience in the same direction Fritz confronted us with other questions like how will a community built on his Theology of a gracious God of radical welcome how will we treat our elderly what does it mean to grow old here when introducing himself to a new group of students Fritz often said with a twinkle in his eye I'm the old guy here well how do we treat the old guys how do we treat the ones who stop remembering the ones who move more slowly whose incredibly Bright Eyes begin to fade what does it really mean to believe in the god Fritz believed in a God who will not let us go not now not ever even though Fritz's witness is no longer in our midst may we keep lifting up a gracious God of radical welcome until that Brighter Day so let it be amen [Music] thank you [Music] foreign [Music] foreign [Music] foreign [Music] foreign [Music] thank you [Music] foreign [Music] foreign it was Martin Marty at Fritz's Chicago Divinity School who said once a famous man died and they gathered all of his important colleagues and they secured a chapel for a send-off the rich and the powerful were present they gathered 10 people to provide eulogies and God went unremembered but the audience learned a lot about speakers we learned how speaker a was connected to the decedent and house Speaker two three and four were connected to one another we learned of the administrative and anecdotal and scholarly and charitable activities of the The Departed and at the end of an unbearably long service I'm not saying that's what we're doing here at the end of an unbearably long service a well-traveled urban patriarch reached for the arm of a young cleric and said you will be around long enough to take care of me when I go promise me one thing dredge up the old common book dig a hole for me put my body in it read the text throw the dirt on the top and let it be from Romans chapter 8 who will separate us from the love of Christ will tribulation or trouble or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword just as it is written for your sake we are all killed we are killed all day long we're regarded as sheep to be slaughtered but in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through him who loved us for I am convinced that neither death nor life nor angels nor principalities nor things present nor things to come nor powers nor height nor depth nor any other created thing can separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our lord Linda Susan and Richard thank you for pointing us to this passage for a short moment today as we remember the God your dad trusted we are quick to move to the punch line nothing can separate us from the love of God Amen church we say amen and we eat potluck yet the phrase is the culmination of eight thick and thorough chapters in a personal letter with a pastoral concern eight chapters of theological heavy lifting that have now come to a crescendo with a series of rhetorical questions in no logical order Paul pronounces problems and if we take a ruler in a pen and follow the the example of Fritz and underline now in our Bibles we will see he's named almost every Force that's threatened to undo us the list is long suffering and weakness frustration and bondage to Decay ignorance trouble hardship persecution famine nakedness ignorance danger sword death life Angels demons Powers the present the future the heights the depths and because 21 is a long list not exhaustive the Apostle adds one more and anything else in creation our punch line doesn't hide from reality and I appreciate this the reality we live in is a mess if you're living wide-eyed in the world these weeks right I respect a theology that takes seriously our lived reality because sometimes your older brother is killed in a car accident on his way home from college and sometimes you list live the last almost 20 years of your life without your precious one you beloved whatever suffering can do it can't do this whatever ignorance can do it can't do this whatever bondage and hardships can do they can't do this whatever nakedness and famine can do whatever danger and sword can do they cannot do this whatever life does whatever we do to one another in creation it cannot do this whatever all manner of created order can think of it cannot do this it cannot separate us from the love of God God can be trusted and it takes eight chapters to say so nothing in the 100 billion stars of our galaxy are in the dark energy of the universe a young physics major Fritz guy might say nothing can separate us from God the first part of that letter is have a theological lifting to the lay of this foundation for the last part of that letter the Practical implications if Martin Luther King Jr summarized the first part of this Romans letter it might be words we can borrow from his 1963 speech in front of the Lincoln Memorial the monument there we may have all come on different ships but we're in the same boat now the last part of this letter to the Romans then says there is work up ahead hostility must end mutually encourage one another this is possible because of the generosity of God so the first part of that letter from Romans the passage you chose to read today family that's the theological heavy lifting that is our Fritz guy heavy lifting that benefited an entire Community for we are not ourselves without frisky for its lifted heavy theological Lifting for a worldwide denomination he lifted for the birth of a liberal arts campus and an academy down the street he lifted for this church he lifted even as we are residents in Ward 7 of our community we are not ourselves without Fritz the theological shaping Linda Richard and Susan I want to confess to you that your dad was not great at everything as an elder Fritz worked through thick and difficult issues with this his home church for decades at least 30 and more in board meeting when we would have a thick and difficult issue Fritz would say well this is easy do the right thing simple not easy more than once we took our vote Fritz everyone left the room Frisk would remain I would say to him it might be the right thing but it's going to be hard for the church to do your father would Pat me on the arm and say well dear pastor that's your problem that's why you get paid the big bucks and he would put her away in his Prius and leave me here his feedback could be rough by the way I always knew the parameters of our conversations by the way he began our conversations if he said Elder oberg we were going to talk to nomination committees conference General Conference the union if he said no Pastor Chris we were going to talk local business that I needed to take care of if he was going to say my dear pastor he would say something a little more careful and intimate no one will take care of you Chris but yourself and if he said my dear accompanied by the pat on the arm it's as if I became the fourth child behind Susan in the guy Family this is what your father was for me one part parent one part Professor one part pastor by the way one of those my dear Pastor moments was when we were discussing a recent book title when he realized the conversation had gone on so long he needed to get to Loma Linda for something he said I have to go I need to drive to Loma Linda paused he looked at me he put his hand on my arm and he said my dear pastor you likely know my children have told me I'm not supposed to drive to Loma Linda there is such a thing as pastoral confidentiality [Applause] I'm pretty sure I'm going to see Richard in a committee meeting there is such a thing as pastoral confidentiality your dad was not great at everything but he didn't expect to be right what did he expected is that all of us arriving on the same on the different ships we understand we're in the same boat now what he expected is that all of us would be committed to the conversation and one another that we would be honoring of one another and honest about our small yet real part in God's world that we will be open to the consequences of unending love we speak of the radical love of God yes we do the radical Nazarene Jesus yet collectively and communally we are cautious we like stability we want to pass on to the next Generation what is good and and we don't want people to demolish our identity in the process the word radical comes from the Latin for root rooted forming the root proceeding from the root solid that word radical upsets us perhaps perhaps because of the ways we've come to use the language and complex intermingling domains politics and culture and religion and so on nevertheless radical applies to the nature of God's love it's rooted and solid and sweeping and consistent and it's thorough going most of us are not troubled by the radical of nature of God's love when it's for me and my family I get more troubled when the radical nature of God is for everyone else with whom I disagree we're troubled when radical love requires new Expressions that require the community to move a marker do you know what I mean was when our young Elisa was studying in another sister institution in a religion class she called me one night quite distraught we're in a religion class mom the professor says open the Bible and see what you can do let the bible guide you can we find a way to be compassionate and affirming of our siblings who are in same sex relationships why is it there's only two of us in the class who are willing to even open the Bible and read and think about it do you know who the other one is Fritz guy's granddaughter Anya and when you ask Anya today about that Anya says it's it was gut wrenching that dozens of college students only two would consider possibilities and that the one that voted in favor of your team voted not because they agreed with their argument but that they were just much more thorough and logical and well argued than the other side we speak of radical love but we are troubled when the radical love requires new Expressions that move the markers in the community and put things in a new place in an email to me in August 2017 Fritz said it is important to distinguish between our between our commitment to God and our commitment to our present understanding the former is our core spiritual experience and the latter is merely a contingent element I am profoundly grateful Chris to have grown up in and I am happy to be a part of a community that believes we have more to learn and will continue to learn forever new truth new expressions of Truth it doesn't discard the old truth it incorporates it into a more complete and adequate understanding truth applicable to present times and this includes new expressions of love so in this letter to the Romans because nothing separates us from the love of God because God is repairing the world right now through Jesus because God plans to save all if you thought Fritz guy was the original Universalist read Romans 11. God plans to save all because the spirit is loose in our world working out these agendas and because the good God is working is not coming from a magic wand in the sky but it's here in lived community well buckle up your seatbelts and put on a crash helmet one poet says we have not yet imagined the ways God's love can be embodied in our world for Fritz this was practical and personal and the central project of his life ask his grandchildren and they will tell you no he really truly believed in people I admired and Fritz what he modeled that maybe not all of us know professional theologians are not reserved for classrooms Publications conferences professional theologians are embedded in the life of the community and the church Paulina from the back of the pews one day after worship Fritz said dear pastor you know the conversation we're going to have now dear pastor look at the tattered binding on this Hymnal no wonder the college students don't want to sing hymns that was a new one could you order new hymnals and send me the bill sitting in University Chapel one day he heard me tell the students if you came to campus without a Bible this fall take one from the pews of this church if you need one doing during the school year steal it from us for it's called the next day send me the bill for the Bibles after vacation bible school did we have enough money so the children didn't have to pay for the program if there's a food pantry Fritz empties his pantry and brings a sack of groceries to the food collection when a Sabbath school teacher for the little ones or the older ones needs to work out really cruddy curriculum Fritz would spend the hours with them if it was potluck we expected to see Dr guy with his little white bowl of green jello I don't know if he knew how to make anything else but if you only know how to make one thing make one thing we saw him I truly admired that Fritz modeled what he believed once I found him sweeping the mat out in front of this side door before the 8 30 worship service I was coming upon him from the side I said Fritz what are you doing while I'm sweeping I'm asking the guy who measures tablecloths what are you doing sweeping we should look presentable on a Sabbath Chris then first let me sweep he said go do something pastorally I will sweep why shouldn't I be the one to sweep the front door of my church for it's enliven to the parish friends and if you don't know that about him you ought to know that about him for decades he and Marsha enliven to this place he stayed he attended all the services yes he co-wrote and edited the Liturgy for the 8 30 service he led a Sabbath School class so Faithfully they've named it after him he returned for the noon service to see what the college students were doing so he could take in the full menu of options for the morning he remained an active Elder Emeritus until you packed him up and drove him off of Peacock Lane he did not miss a board meeting until covid Dr Guy served his final committee commitment two years ago this month with the Southeastern California Conference right across the street at the age of 91 he brought to that assignment every sense of diligence and Duty we would expect there were a list of names on the board for the nominations and Fritz pulled me aside at lunch and said who are all these people that want to be conference president who wants to be a conference president the same thing happened for executive secretary Fritz said sit down tell me who these people are I I don't know them he could vote for the one name he knows and has some level of trust but he wants to know about all 15 of them before he casts his vote this is the fritz guy we know when people ask me for a reflection on Fritz's influence on ordination equality I must say the most powerful part he played in my professional life was this enthusiastic participation in the life of his Parish led by a woman some advocate for equality some stay there are not words for this deepest expression of confidence for its place in ordination equality that replace his witness to allow me to be his pastor I remember after the 2015 General Conference session into 2015 where we had what I called a wicked Wednesday as we discussed this very topic of equality and ordination and when I came home and we began to unpack that horrible Wednesday Fritz said to me but aren't you glad you're coming back here I said yes I am but can I be angry a little bit longer he said oh oh most certainly is is that helpful Madeleine Haldeman would just say oh stop blathering on it's not becoming but at least Fritz said oh is that helpful Chris but we live here go to work on his 90th birthday he said we probably don't need to keep asking what does the church need what's good for the church we ought to ask what do our neighbors need doing that Fritz believed all of us ought to have at least one place we served in our community that has nothing to do with the Adventist Church and so for him it was the Inland AIDS project for at least two decades with his presence for it stood in a space of human pain and demonstrated God is for you God is for you at a time it was not popular to do so this is because Fritz trusted God God is really and truly for you God is really and truly for me God is really and truly for all of us people are God's priority and if all Adventist Christians did now is stand in the space of human pain in our world with our presence demonstrate God is for you we have witnessed to the love and the Providence of God friends Fritz would want me to say today that Sabbath time is our great celebratory prompt and promise that this love of God is so first and I often read books together the last title we read together before I stepped aside here was called if God is love don't be a jerk I suspect if we had discussed a book this summer together it might have been Barry Lopez's essays called embrace fearlessly the burning world here's a small excerpt evidence of failure to love is everywhere all around us we need to step into a deeper conversation about a Chapman and agape and to actively explore a greater capacity to love other humans the old ideas the crushing immorality of maintaining the nation-state and the life-destroying belief that to care for others is to be weak and that to be generous is to be foolish they can have no future with us it is more important now to be in love than to be in power it is more important to live for the possibilities that lie ahead than to die in despair over what's been lost only the misled can insist that heaven the heaven awaits the righteous while they watch the fires on Earth consume The Only Heaven we've ever known in this trembling moment with light armor under several Flags rolling across Northern Syria and with civilians beaten to death in the streets of occupied Palestine with fires roaring Across The Vineyards of California with student loans from profiteers breaking the backs of the young and with niagara's of water falling into the oceans from every sector of Greenland in this moment it is still possible to face the Gathering darkness and say to the physical Earth and to all its creatures including ourselves fiercely without embarrassment I love you and embrace fearlessly the burning world trusting that we belong to God that nothing can separate us from God's providential care to love radically La Sierra what is it we do now in the absence of our Fritz we are Longing To Hear Fritz voice of clarity and faculty Gatherings and we want to hear his insights when we're in Saba school class wondering what would Fritz say right now or as a grandchild you long for the abundance of ways your grandfather communicated his enchantment to you we are missing this in our lives just now in the meantime go ahead and love radically that's what Fritz would do only do it in the way God has most keenly wired you to love the burning world there is a promise of a better world for it's believed in this that death will finally have its own death he reminded us here in a sermon once at a time when he was an 11 year old boy and for the first time heard the king's Herald sing lift up the trumpet and Loud let it ring Fritz cherished and had an unwavering hope in his future in all of ours first Thessalonians 4 records that trumpet for the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout in the voice of the Archangel and with the trumpet of God and the dead in Christ will rise first then we who are alive who remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and so we will always be with the Lord therefore Comfort one another with these words and Fritz would want us to read from his friend Ellen the years of Eternity as their role will bring richer and still more glorious Revelations of God in Christ as knowledge is Progressive so will love reverence and happiness increase when Fritz read those words he ended it with wow what a vision what a vision rest well our dear friends but not long let's pray from the letter to the Romans now may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement Grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus so that with one purpose and one voice we all may glorify the God and the father of our Lord Jesus Christ now may the god of Hope fill us with all joy and peace in believing so that we will abound in Hope by the power of the Holy Spirit and now to him who is able to establish us according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ to the only wise God through Jesus Christ be glory forever amen we invite you to remain seated as we enjoy the organ and when the organ is concluded please give the family a moment to get to the patio they would love to see you gathered around the tables in the patio [Music] oh [Music] foreign foreign thank you foreign [Applause] [Applause] thank you foreign thank you foreign [Applause] foreign foreign thank you foreign foreign thank you foreign 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