Memories of our Bishop

Bishop John Schreiber & Me, Reformation 2007

It is not often that I use this forum as a means of sharing the kind of candid thoughts and feelings that are expressed herein. (Nor do I often write such a lengthy entry!) And yet, I feel it important to share with others a bit of our Bishop's character and a sense of why we are grieving his loss so deeply. Were it not for the promise of the Gospel, we would be utterly lost.

I was honored to be invited to join Bishop Schreiber on his first visit to our companion synod, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land. John had been installed in January, 2006 and the trip took place at the end of May/beginning of June. It was, I knew, a special opportunity to get to know our Bishop as well as a number of my colleagues in parish and social ministry. It was a priceless opportunity.

Perhaps it's the photographer in me that recalls much of the trip as a slide show of memories...

Bishop Schreiber & Marty Zimmann in Frankfurt

The travel...and how uncomfortable John must have been traveling in clerical garb to Frankfurt and then on to Tel Aviv...(I'm convinced that whoever invented easy-to-wash plastic neckband collars never lived in the desert or had to sleep in one...)

We all felt the jet-lag as we gathered in the dining room of the 7 Arches but John was the one I caught on camera dropping off as Bishop Younan's words of welcome went on a little long...

On Monday morning, John arrived at breakfast after a very long day accompanying Bishop Younan hither and yon. He was exhausted but eager to tell us about their adventures! He relished good stories and told them with enthusiasm!

I can still see John walking along a dusty path in the village of Jayyous and helping our injured Rose through the Souk dressed in a long-sleeve clerical shirt (I could never figure out why he'd chosen long sleeve shirts for the desert!) - and his Detroit Tigers hat!

As we left a first grade classroom (our first such visit) at the ELCJHL school at Beit Sahour, John stopped and shook hands with every child in the room. I remember thinking, "If he does this in every classroom, we'll be here all week"!

Bishop Schreiber at Dar Al Kalima School

At Dar Al Kalima School, John delighted in photographing the kids at recess - and showing them the digital images.

After our visit to Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron, John related his conversation with Colleen who asked if the same tour guide were still there. Yes! Abu Hani was still there, he said, still telling bad jokes and saying, "Hubba, Hubba" and "Shake a leg."

On the evening we went to the Swedish Theological Institute, John was among those who rode in the van and I among those who walked the route - long and mostly up hill - the sun still beating down. As I came through the door, exhausted and perspiring, John - looking cool and relaxed in the hallway - smiled and said in his most pastoral voice, "I'll be happy to pay for a cab on the way back."

Bishop Schreiber was all over this photo op with students
in the woodshop at the LWF Vocational Training Center!

In the dusty village of At-Tuwani, John discovered that one of the Christian Peacemaking Team volunteers had grown up in Colleen's first parish. He was excited to tell Colleen about this "small world" experience and, I suspect, a little disappointed that Heidi's mother had already emailed Colleen with the details!

After touring Augusta Victoria Hospital - where our tour concluded in the dialysis clinic as the children began to arrive for the afternoon session - we stood overlooking the hillside which will be home to the Mount of Olives Housing Project and I was overcome by all that we had seen and heard. John pointed out that it was rather fitting for us to be standing where the disciples had stood at the Ascension, looking to the heavens and wondering, "Where are you, Lord? What do we do now?" Our pastor gathered us in the quiet beauty of the chapel and led us all in prayer.

At Jericho, several of us took a ride on Sammy the camel. John responded by rewriting an old song, "Bishop rode a camel in Jericho, Jericho, Jericho...Bishop rode a camel in Jericho and the beast came a tumblin' down..." (Not really; Sammy was sure-footed as could be!)

I remember how delighted John was to find an icon of St. Colleen...even if he felt a tiny bit guilty about the price he paid for it...

Su'ad Younan, Hani Odeh & Bishop Schreiber

at the International Center in Bethlehem

Most nights that we spent at the Lutheran Guest House in the Old City, we sat out on the roof, talking, reflecting on our experiences and relishing the fact that we were sitting at a remarkable intersection...simultaneously able to hear the call to prayer from two mosques, see the tower of Redeemer Lutheran, and watch the Hasidim head toward the Western Wall...

"Up on the roof" I learned that John could quote lines from Saturday Night Live (especially the early years), West Wing and countless films as adeptly as anyone I knew...During the call to prayer on the eve of Pentecost, John dialed Colleen who was working on her sermon, held out the phone so she could hear and then asked, "Doesn't that inspire you?" (Apparently, it was one of those "you had to be there" moments...)

I will always cherish the memories of that trip...as I will so many others...

John's visit to LOL/LCM (he had me in the palm of his hand when his sermon began with an image from West Wing)...his delight in preaching and presiding at the Jazz Mass for the Vigil of Pentecost 2007...watching him dance at the Medema concert last fall...

John relished the opportunity to chair the Presiding Bishop's ready bench on the Middle East - and he was in his element on Capitol Hill - whether he was talking to Senator Debbie Stabenow or encountering Howie Mandel!

Over the past 2 1/2 years, I've benefited from John's wisdom, been blessed by his pastoral care, been inspired by his faith, vision and heart for mission. Just a few weeks ago, I was able to spend the better part of a day with him, sharing plans for campus ministry, hearing all about his son Paul's plans to pursue veterinary medicine and together making a pastoral call on a colleague recovering from surgery. As we parted company that day, he told me a little bit about the challenges we'd be discussing at Synod Council - and was off to make another pastoral call.

We were gathered for that Synod Council meeting when we received the news that John had been taken to the hospital and then - just moments later - the word that he had died. We cried. We shared the Eucharist. We cried some more. We went home, trying to make sense of what made no sense.

The following Tuesday and Wednesday, people came from all around to visitation at the Synod House. On Thursday, nearly 1,000 people gathered to share our grief and to give thanks for John's remarkable life and ministry.

I'm not sure whether or how we'll manage to put into action all of the plans that we made but I know that John will urge us on...pushing us to fulfill the mission to which we have been called.

By God's grace, we'll do just that.

Pastor Sue