Subject: Weekend Update: Retirement Weekend (6/24-6/27)
Date:    Mon 6/28/99  9:55am

On Thursday, the pavers arrived to lay down a 21'x18' rectangle out
behind the pool fence.  The pavers did their job in under 3 hours.  I
dug a hole where the backboard will go and might have had time to mix
and place the concrete but with my father's weekend looming, I had to
go video camera comparison shopping that evening.  My video camera,
that decided to give up its ghost the day we went on our 20th
anniversary cruise, had a repair estimate cost of $641.15. We declined
the repairs and bought a new one for about the same money, with
updated technology and a 4-year extended warranty plan.  I didn't buy
on Thursday, mind you.  

I went back on Friday to the winning store - with an extra 10% off
coupon to sweeten the deal.  After stopping to purchase the camera, I
set it aside at home and set about mixing the concrete.  At the risk
of becoming another one of Pastor White's sermon illustrations about
man's vain attempt to immortalize himself (cf. "seedy blue couch" and
"muck green station wagon"), each of my family members etched initials
in the concrete in a vain attempt to immortalize ourselves.

We finished in time for the arrival of our week-long guests and
lifelong friends, the Shaws, who are spending a vacation week at the
Manor.  We barely saw them on Saturday and Sunday and I was grateful
that they had plans for these days to ease our host-conscious
consciences.

The Celebration of Ministry for my father and mother began on Friday
evening with the youth group.  They were escorted by limosine (almost)
around the block and to the church where the youth group had lined up
on either side of a a make-shift red carpet.  When Mom and Dad got out
of the car they were greeted with two wheelchairs; one said "Just" and
the other said "Retired".  As Mom and Dad began the first of seven
major expressions of gratitude for service to them and the kingdom,
the teens brought out their kazoos and hummed "Hail to the Cheif."
Mom winked at the teens and cautioned them: "You do know our bedtime
is 8:30?"  They were kept up beyond their bedtime as teen after teen
told them how much my parent meant to them.  (Brian Bollinger taped
this event for posterity, and I have yet to review it.)

My family arrived in Quincy Saturday morning so that I could make good
on the excuse to spend so much money on a new camera.  I videographed
every event starting with the children and their parents at a pancake
breakfast.  Mom and Dad were treated to songs, and gifts, and a poster
with the names and outlines of the hands of the children.

In the afternoon, they attended a tea with the senior citizens in
Munro Parlor.  Dad related that Cecil Paul had asked him in that very
room to let his name stand for nomination to pastor the Wollaston
Church some 22 years earlier.

In the evening, the church held a smorgasborg meal for the adults
where more people delivered their testimonials and gifts.  Arranged in
one area of the room was a wall of rememberances with photos and
letters, and an 11-minute video I compiled for the occasion.  Mom and
Dad missed their bedtime again.  So did we.  We travelled back to
Pepperell for the evening and then off to Quincy again on Sunday
morning.

The morning worship service was - and I'm having a hard time finding
the right word for it - rapturous (too strong), wonderful (overused),
tender (too sappy), moving (maybe that's close enough).  Dad got up to
give his farewell address to his congregation and part way through
yielded his pulpit to Merritt Neilson, his Associate, saying that
Merritt had served longer than any other pastoral staff member at the
Wollaston Church of the Nazarene (16 years) except for himself (22
years).  Merritt received a long standing ovation.

In the afternoon service, there were more gifts and plaques and
testimonials and a very rare event where the four Metcalfe brothers
assembled together in public to talk a little about being on the
inside of the Pastor's family.  John was asked to prepare an oratory,
which he did, and which he got Stephen to deliver.  The rest of us
made comments in the background as Stephen told the congretion that
what they saw in their Pastor was indeed what they got.  However, from
inside the home, he said we saw the same person they did, "only with a
lot less clothes on."  Before we left the platform, I elbowed my way
to speak as well to deliver a soliloquy of having four boys in the
parsonage.

Dr. Stephen Nease brought the message for the afternoon service.  He
said that he knew that all of these nice things that people were
saying about Dad were making Dad squirm and he (Nease) loved it!  (Dad
commented that he felt the situation was like the woman who asked to
have the casket opened to make sure they were eulogizing the right
man.)  The Chinese pastor presented a vase to Mom and Dad (not sure
what dynasty). The Mayor of Quincy proclaimed June 27, 1999 as
"Rev. Dr. Russell F. Metcalfe Day" in the City of Quincy.  His church
made him "Pastor Emeritus."  A man in Scottish kilt played Amazing
Grace on the bagpipes and led Mom and Dad out of the sanctuary and to
the Metcalfe Gathering Room for a reception where the church said its
final farewell to their Pastor and wife.

The week ahead may put Mom and Dad past their bedtimes again as they
attempt to complete the task of moving to their home on Cape Cod.

...and that's only half of what happened last week!

Mark


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