A talk at the City Club, 11:45 am, Friday, May 2, 2003

First, let me begin with a word of appreciation and a disclaimer. The appreciation is to the many good people who make this club what it is and for the opportunity to serve this past year as your President. It has been a great experience. The disclaimer is for the title of my presentation. I'll tell you a little secret about preachers. Being that we are expected to come up with something somewhat intelligent to say every week in front of a group of folk who pay our bills, we are very good at plagiarizing. In that we are a lot like politicians except that we have a sense of guilt. So I confess that I borrowed the title from Loren Mead's "The Once and Future Church" but being a preacher himself he most likely borrowed it from someone else. Don't tell my congregation I told you this. They think everything I tell them is original and true!

It was nearly one year ago that I warned you, upon taking over from my predecessor, Don Kahle, that this podium looked an awful lot like a pulpit. Well I have been good all year and have not preached a single sermon here. But now, O you people of the City Club, holy or unholy, as the case may be, that is about to change. For I have come before you today not to engage in chit chat. I have come not to talk about the niceties of the club. I have come not to lecture. Today, I have come to preach, to proclaim the gospel, if I may be so daring or so foolish to use that word, to proclaim the gospel of City Club. (If someone wants to say "Amen" now and then, feel free!)

The good news I come to share today stands in direct contrast to the news we see or hear most every day. This is a very difficult time for us as a nation. I cannot think of a time since the Vietnam era when emotions in our country have run so high and divisions so deep. Only today there is an added dimension of anxiety brought on by terror alerts and memories of 9/11 which has created this enormous dis-ease, if not for our own personal safety, then for our national psyche as we cautiously await news of some terrible disaster about which we are continually being warned. Disagreements over the war on Iraq have brought out strong passions and angry expressions on all sides. The loyalty of those who criticize the President and the intelligence of those who support him are questioned. Orwellian curtailment of civil rights are being debated in our legislatures and some say have already been enacted. Economic seizures resulting in unparalleled convulsions in our state government have everyone blaming everyone else for the current crisis.

I fear that under this psychological trauma combined with political unrest we are a nation that is about to come apart at the seams. To add insult to injury, we now have to contend with things like the West Nile virus and the SARS virus. Just when you did not think the news could get any worse, we learn that Luke Ridenour is turning pro. But I did not come here to preach fire and brimstone. As far as I am concerned, such doom and gloom is in fact contrary to the very notion of "gospel" which, in its Greek origins in fact means "good news."

I do believe that what we have to offer is in fact good news in contrast to the bad news of the world in which we live and that is precisely why the mission of City Club is so vital. In his state of the club address last year, Don sought to sell us on the idea that what we do here is essential to our life as a community. I whole heartedly agree, otherwise I would not have taken this job. Let me tell you what I think this is so. City clubs across the nation are the places where, more so than any other place I know, some of the most critical issues before our communities, nation and world are consistently discussed in open forums. Many of these clubs not only engage in public discussions on matters of importance, they also do in-depth, quality research on critical issues. The slogans used by these clubs give you as sense of what city clubs are about.

• Tacoma: Inquiring Minds Embracing the Future
• Cleveland: A Free Exchange of Thought
• Portland: The Conscience of the City
• Denver: To inform rather than to reform
• San Diego: Dialogue of democracy

Then in Eugene we have, "where minds come out to play." No one can say that we are a club that takes itself too seriously! We define our mission as "building community vision through open inquiry." That is the text of the gospel I have come to proclaim today. Every city club states their mission differently, yet they all sound strikingly familiar. For instance, the New York City Club, founded in 1892 and I believe to be the oldest city club in the nation, sees itself as a non - partisan "watchdog" on New York City government, working to make it more effective, honest, ethical and responsive to its citizens. The Commonwealth Club of California, a city club by another name and probably the largest of the nation with over 14,000 members, was founded on this principle, "We only propose to find truth and turn it loose in the world."

The City Club in Cleveland, established in 1912 and which claims to be the oldest, continuous free speech forum in the country, has as its mission, "To inform, educate and inspire citizens by presenting significant ideas and providing opportunities for dialogue in a collegial setting." The Women's City Club of New York, founded by suffragists in 1915 when women were not welcome in most clubs, city or country, seeks to foster active responsible citizen participation in shaping public policy decisions affecting the New York City community. At heart we share a common intent, working collaboratively with fellow citizens and community leaders on critical issues that confront us.

This mission, I believe, is unique in comparison to other clubs. We are not a "country club", though in some cities you will find city clubs that are simply country clubs without a golf course. The Register Guard ran an article from the Associated Press just after I became President of this club. The title of the article was "Memberships in city clubs waning." I was in office for less than two weeks and they were already predicting our demise! (Picking a preacher to head the club may have been daring but I didn't think it was going to be deadly.) The irony of that article was that we were on a boom, not a bust, and in fact still are with well over 300 members, our highest membership since the early years of our club. We hit the 300 mark under the reign of Don and have built on that success throughout this year. I fully expect us to continue that trend under Carolyn Kranzler's capable leadership this next year. But according to the AP article, our club is going against the stream in several ways.

Here's the opening paragraph, see if it sounds like anything you have experienced here:

The banquet room boasts a fireplace big enough to hold an SUV. Hallways are decorated with sepia-toned prints by the renowned photographer Edward Curtis, who used them to pay his membership bills a century ago. Even the sunlight filtering through the tall windows seems elegant and refined. You know you've made it in Seattle society when you're invited to join the exclusive Rainier Club.

We may wish that people say, "you know you've made it in Eugene when you're invited to join the City Club," but what this article describes and what I have experienced here have as much in common as the President of the US and tumbleweed. (Actually, it occurs to me that both are bushes from Texas but beyond that, I hesitate to draw any further comparisons.) The waning city clubs described by the Associated Press are little more than posh dining clubs with large initiation fees and big egos. We have neither, ... well maybe a few big egos. In any case, I do not consider such clubs to be a part of what I call the city club tradition, even if they have any common roots.

The other type of club to which we are most often compared are the service clubs, Rotary, Lions, Kiwanis and the like. In most communities these clubs perform an invaluable service raising money for good projects or in other ways contributing very tangible gifts to the local community or even to the world at large. We heard just two weeks ago of the incredible work being done by Rotary International, working to eradicate polio from the face of the earth. Such efforts are very admirable and commendable. But do not think that work of city club is any less important if you are not performing some tangible deed of charity. To the contrary, it is precisely because we live in such conflicted times that we need groups like this city club doing precisely what you are doing now.

There are three things city clubs do from my experience which make them so vital. I'll use the mission of our club to describe these three things.

First, building community. Quick, how many places can you name where people of different religious beliefs, political persuasions, vocational calling, ethnic origin and to some extent, economic status, come together for any purpose? The only places besides City Club that came to my mind were the primary religious centers of this area: Mac Court and Autzen Stadium-you did know that sports are the number one religion in Oregon. Note that I was a little cautious in claiming economic diversity for city clubs because I think that is an area in which we are challenged, at least I know we are in Eugene and from my visits to the Portland, Florence and Salem clubs I would say they are there too. We also need to strengthen our ethnic diversity, but that is a problem more typical of Oregon as a whole.

My point is simply that city clubs have at least the potential, if not always realized, to be one of the more representative bodies of our communities. The degree to which city clubs are able to bring together the many diverse elements of a community is the degree to which that larger community can overcome any divisions that may exist within it. A homogenous city club within a diverse community is a sign of divisions in serious need of bridging. A healthy city club will not merely reflect the make up of a community, it will set the tone for that community. What we do here makes a difference.

If I may change hats here for just a moment, I'd like to share one of the remarkable experiences I have had in the last 18 months since 9/11. I was driving to Portland on Sept. 12, 2001 when I heard the news that President Bush had called for Sept. 14 to be a day of prayer. Thanks to the wonder of cell phones, by the time I made it to Portland I and a few others had put together the outline of a service to be held that Friday. Two phone calls stood out in particular. The first was one I made to Tammam Adi, founder of the Islamic Cultural Center in Eugene. I have known Tammam for several years and worked with him on a variety of interfaith issues. Tammam is an immigrant from Syria who has lived in this country for 20 years. He has an American wife and is a very gentle, compassionate person. He is also a member of City Club. When I called him on Sept. 12 to participate in the service we were planning for that Friday, he had just received a death threat and was afraid to leave his house. I encouraged him to report the call he received to the police.

Later I received a call from a member of the Sikh community. I was not even aware that we had a Sikh community in Eugene. They wanted to participate in the service only they were not calling to ask if they could be on the podium, they were calling to ask if it would even be safe for them to come. You may recall that shortly after 9/11 a service station attendant in Arizona was murdered. The attendant was a Sikh, and because he wore a turban, the assailant assumed he was a Muslim and killed him in retaliation for 9/11. Thus the Sikhs in our community, who all wear turbans, became quite fearful as was Tammam. I assured them that they would be welcomed at the service. They came. They were so moved by the experience that they persuaded us to hold an interfaith service for prayer and remembrance on a monthly basis. We were not sure how to do such or who would come, but we agreed.

An ad hoc planning group was formed and a service was held on October 11. We had 75 from just about every faith tradition you can imagine. We decided to do it again. In November we had 90. In December it was 100. I figured that after the holidays the novelty would wear off and the service would dwindle down to 50 or less. I was wrong. It grew to 110, then 120, then 140. It now averages over 200 every month. It is an amazing thing, particularly in this time to see Jews praying with Muslims, Christians singing with Hindus, Buddhists chanting with Sikhs, and so on. This is what I mean by building community. It is bringing people together from diverse backgrounds to form an intentional community around a common need or purpose. The Interfaith Service on the 11th of every month in Eugene has done that for a particular diverse group of religious people, the City Club does the same thing for another diverse group. That is one reason why I am committed to both.

By the way, I remind you that the City Club of Eugene played a role in the creation of a safer community for Muslims in our midst. During the month of October, 2001, we held a forum on four consecutive Monday evenings to educate ourselves on the history, beliefs and people of Islam with an average of 100 in attendance each night. That series debunked a number of stereotypes and falsehoods which many present had held about Muslims. One of those in attendance was the man who had made the death threat on Tammam. In the heat of his anger, he did something rather dumb, he called Tammam from his home phone. When the police asked Tammam if he had any idea who the caller might be, Tammam said, "Well my caller ID says...." Thus began a process of re-education for one who did not know where or how to direct his anger. I remind you again as Don also did last year that that series had a greater impact on our community than any research project we might have produced on the subject.

The second thing I believe city clubs do, or at least contribute to, is building a vision for the community. There is a verse from the King James version of the Old Testament which I find very wise for all communities, religious or not. It says, "Where there is no vision, the people perish." The great gift of Martin Luther King, Jr. to this nation was his articulation of a dream with which every person, regardless of race or religion, could identify. A dream where each person would be judged by the strength of their character, not the color of their skin. Where every person would be given an equal chance at the promise made by our founders of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Where every child would be able to grow and thrive in an environment of acceptance, love and dignity. The tradition of Dr. King lives on today, now 35 years after his assassination, because of that dream. It may be years, decades or even centuries before we achieve it, but we will remember it because of the power it holds.

Articulating a vision for the community is, I believe, one of the greatest services City Club can offer. We have focused much attention in the last year to the downtown plan. If you have been to any of those programs or heard them on KLCC, then you know that it can stir up some deep passions in our city. The opportunity we now have with the citing of the federal courthouse, on the one hand, recognized by most as a very good thing, and the likely departure of Sacred Heart on the other, which many have seen as just short of the end of the world for the city, has generated all kinds of excitement. And so we have held a number of programs on planning issues, development, hospital citing, etc. We don't expect that the City will adopt all the ideas we like, but we note that most of the city planners have attended one or more of these meetings and that ideas first introduced at City Club, are being discussed elsewhere as possible improvements for the downtown.

Building a vision for the community is to describe a destination, not draw a road map. In doing so you do not have to figure out all the details of the route or the vehicle used to get there, rather you focus on the big picture, what's it going to look like when we get there. In my experience city clubs are uniquely qualified to do just that, they have lots of dreamers who couldn't organize their way out of a forest of bonsai trees, but they can give you grandiose schemes of an entire Japanese garden. Challenge the dreamers to dream, what can our community become? Let the planners and engineers figure out how to build it.

In the Buddhist tradition they say, if the pupil is ready, the teacher will come. I say if the vision is right, the means will appear. City Club is where visions for our community can be conceived, birthed and nursed. I know of no other group as uniquely poised or as genuinely capable to do just that. Remember that buzz at the Wild Duck when we heard Jerry Diethelm pull together the three epochs of the Mill Race and then lay out a scenario for restoring the Mill Race around the Federal Courthouse to reconnect downtown to the river? It was truly electric. Was that fantasy or was that vision? Whatever it was, there was genuine excitement in the room that day. We need that kind of energetic excitement in our community. And I think we can, indeed we have provided that here. Where there is vision, the people thrive. This is our task.

Third and last, open inquiry. A clergy colleague of mine once told me of an experience in the south with a very anti-Catholic radio program. Some members of the community wanted to censor the program as "hate speech". The local clergy group decided that the answer was not to curtail speech, but to respond with more speech. So they put together a show to counter his. It did not silence him, but it did discredit much of his message for most of that community. City Club is a place where we can air all points of view and let them stand or fall on their own merits. In Eugene we have heard from Bill Sizemore and John Kitzhaber, the CEOs of both hospitals involved in a little dispute you may have heard about, proponents and opponents of the war on Iraq, folks for and against the West Eugene parkway, etc. We do not try to make every program equally balanced, but we try to include a variety of viewpoints over time and we also give the chance to ask the first question at most programs to someone who represents an alternate or opposing viewpoint.

If you heard the Beyond War presentation from a few weeks ago, you heard Gayle Landt say that "the means is the end in the making". In other words, the way in which we get from here to there determines what the "there" will actually look like. I believe this is true whether we are talking about a "new world order", to use the phrase from the previous Bush administration, or the order of our communities. If in fact this is true, then I fear that the President was wrong last night when he said that the tide has turned in the war against terrorism. I hope he was right, but I fear he was wrong. And we will not know which is correct for five to ten years. If in fact the means is the end in the making then we must find a peaceful, just means to build a peaceful, just world. If we desire a community that affirms diversity, then we much practice diversity in the means we seek to achieve it. If we desire a society that values free speech, then we must not only protect the right of dissent, we must allow for it, even encourage it. If we value openness, then we must keep an open mind. As Don challenged us last year, it is not easy being open-minded when your brain is full.

Several weeks before the war began, I gave a sermon in my congregation that was a strong statement against it. I knew it would be somewhat controversial so I invited one of our more conservative members to give a response after the service. We had 50 people that remained for the discussion that followed. The funny part of this story is that I had a prospective member who was so angry that she walked out at the end of my sermon. Afterwards she got to thinking about the openness of the congregation to all points of view, came in to talk to me about it and joined the church the following Sunday. I've had the same kind of experiences in City Club, though not as dramatic as that one, people who disagree with a particular speaker but who express appreciation for the opportunity to hear from the other point of view and to engage in meaningful dialogue on difficult topics. That is the heart of democracy and is central to our mission as a club. The day we only hear from the perspectives we like is the day we have lost our vitality as a club. The more we are able to include divergent points of view, the more we will fulfill our purpose.

Building community vision through open inquiry, providing a free exchange of thought, serving as the conscience of our community, a dialogue of democracy, this is what we are about. There may be other things we do as citizens of equal importance to the common good, but I know of nothing of greater importance, especially in these times.