CREATIVITYAND THE LIFE OF FAITH

A U T U M N – W I N T E R 2 0 1 3

westwoodunited methodist church

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10497 Wilshire BoulevardLos Angeles, California 90024310 474-4511

www.westwoodumc.orgwww.TheLoftLA.org

westwoodunited methodist church

Cover photo by Lehrer Architects showing details from the 2011 award-

winning Sanctuary addition.www.lehrerarchitects.com

It does not matter if it is an art museum, a theater, a concert hall, an opera house, or a little church

building on a prairie. At some point, each of these places display or perform works that are the result of the church’s love of and support of the arts. People of faith have always known that our music, our dance, our written and spoken words, as well as what we see with our eyes, is capable of making a deep imprint upon our souls. Inspired visual art, whether Byzantine adornment in Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia, modern interpretation through the stained glass of our own sanctuary here at Westwood, or the Renaissance genius of Michelangelo’s adornment of the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City – these expressions have helped to tell God’s story to countless generations. Poets and playwrights have interacted with themes rooted in the Christian faith to help us better understand the human condition. Cantatas, motets, symphonic works and oratorios have found their origins in sacred text and story, illuminating eter-nal truth and providing another way to experience God. Perhaps no one said it better than Johann Sebastian Bach, “The aim and final end of all music should be none other than the glory of God and the refreshment of the soul.”

A number of years ago, when I was serving a different congregation as their Minister to Children, Youth, and Fami-lies, I was responsible for planning and leading three family camp experiences each year. Like many long-standing traditions, the family camp had become

somewhat tired. One year, a dedicated group of volunteers considered what a new vision for one of these camps might look like. From that group was born an arts and crafts camp that gave the participants a chance to foster their cre-ativity. There was candle making, wood working, batik, quilting, painting, music making, percussion instrument building (bad idea) – you name it; at one time or another we tried it all. While some in-spired and beautiful works were created, that really was not the goal. Instead, it was the amazing experience of how art could draw people together in relation-ship, and facilitate interaction with faith. There was a real power in that art camp, which became an activity looked forward to by many.

Why should the church be in-terested in the arts? Because our art can speak truth in

ways we cannot. As people of faith, we yearn to be connected to truth. It’s not a surprise that a verse of a beloved hymn or the contemplation of a simple icon can move us in ways that are the work-ings of God’s Spirit. I believe that our human creativity is God-inspired, and the creation which we call “art” helps us understand the great mystery that is our faith. In this issue of the Spire Magazine members of our faith community ref lect on how art moves us in deep and spiritu-ally-growing ways.

How is it on your journey?—Pastor John Woodall

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IN THIS ISSUE...

4 Creativity and Memoir By Larry Owen and James Gibson

5 Q&A: ...No, But I Play One On Television An Interview with Janet Hoskins By Gregory Norton

6 A Creative Eye at the Margins By Amanda Williamson

8 Profile in Service: Leanne Nakanishi By Bette Caldwell

10 Music in the Architecture By Gregory Norton

The SPIRE Magazine appears several times each year. It is intended as a way of sharing stories about the people and ministries of Westwood United Methodist Church. It is also a showcase for the writing talents of the church’s members and friends. If you have a story idea or would like to contribute to a future issue of the magazine, please contact Gregory Norton (greg@westwoodumc.org). The SPIRE also exists in a more-frequently published newletter format.

Contents ©Westwood United Methodist Church. All rights reserved. Please contact the church with reprint inquiries.

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THE PHONE BOOTHBy James Gibson

It was a standard indoor phone booth, any one of a row of five. The people at the upscale Boston hotel had said we would have two calls we could make to any place in the country, no exceptions. It was late on Wednesday afternoon, October 14, 1942. We had just left the great Cunard liner, the Queen Mary, after a five-day cruise on what was a badly damaged ship, with no escort protection, on seas as calm as a mill pond the whole way. Our stop in Boston was an overnight stay until we could get our luggage all collected, giving us a chance to clean up a bit and adjust to the time difference. Our leader had been on the phone to Signal Corp headquarters at Fort Monmouth, just outside Asbury, New Jersey, and informed them that each of us would be granted a ten day leave after checking in.

The first of my calls was placed to Houghton, Michigan, where my girlfriend, Dotty Gregory, lived with her parents. Dotty had not heard from me for months and had no idea where I was. After the connection was made, not being sure if perhaps a timer was operating, I said, “will you marry me?” The connection was good, but silence fol-lowed. Dotty was asking her dad if he could get by without her. At the time I had no way of knowing that Dotty’s mother had died quite suddenly and Dotty was helping to raise her twelve- year-old younger sister. Archie, Dotty’s dad, quickly told her all would be OK and next I heard the words that she would marry

me. I then told her I would be arriving in three or four days, we would have a couple of days together and then I would have to leave again.

I was still in the phone booth. I had one more call I could make. I phoned my parents who lived near Hartford, Con-necticut, and brought them up to speed. I didn’t expect them to take a two-day, 1500 mile trip that would end with a short trip with me to the Justice of the Peace. Mom and Dad were in their 50’s, which I viewed as being so ancient that they would never be able to travel. My estimate of their capacity to travel was way off – they arrived before me!

The people of Houghton and the Methodist Church were not going to let Dotty off with a Justice of the Peace ceremony. The church was decorated with pine boughs and candles. Every seat was taken and people were stand-

ing in the side aisles. My college roommate, now a professor at the college, served as my best man. Another classmate was now a Captain in the army and commander of the college ROTC program. He stepped in as an usher. Dotty had a gorgeous long white wedding dress. All of this was made possible by a hotel in Boston that allowed a group of soldiers to use their phones.

CREATIVITY AND MEMOIRI know a bit about my grandparents, but nothing about my great-grandparents. Wish I knew what songs they sang, what foods they liked, what books they read. I will never know. Jim Gibson wrote a lovely story about a phone call that changed his life. His loved ones, fifty and a hundred years from now, will read his story and learn a bit about the ‘mating habits’ of their ancestors. Jim joined several members of Westwood UMC in a writing workshop that met after church. He faithfully wrote the assignments I asked people in the group to write. “Write about a telephone call that changed your life,” I said. Why don’t you write that assignment as a gift for members of your family to read a hundred years from now? Then write these: What movie did you see when you were courting your mate? What did you do on a typical Sun-day in 2013? Tell them three or four things they need to know if they want to know who you really were.Wish my grandparents had written those assignments and left them for me to read. —Larry Owen

The connection was good, but silence followed...

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...NO, BUT I PLAY ONE ON TELEVISIONby Gregory Norton

Los Angeles residents are used to sidewalk sightings of celebrities and movie stars. But the ranks of Westwood’s Chancel Choir may not be among the most obvious places to look for one of Hollywood’s working actors. Janet Hoskins’ IMDb page lists credits rang-ing from independently-produced ‘shorts’ to well-known network television shows like The Office and Law and Order. If you like to watch television, maybe you’ll be surprised to find one of our own Layleaders in a scene!

Q: How did you get started acting?

My first job after col-lege was in Jackson, Ten-nessee, a small city with a very active community theater group. One day there was a notice in the paper that they were hav-ing auditions for a pro-duction of Neil Simon’s The Good Doctor. I had just seen the play on PBS. Since I had fantasized about being an actor since I played Mrs. Santa Claus in the second grade, I went and auditioned. I got a part, did the show and the bug bit.

Q: Where did you grow up? What brought you to Los Angeles?

I grew up mostly in Chattanooga, Tennessee, with sojourns in Rome, Geor-

gia, and Decatur, Alabama. My route to Los Angeles was a bit convoluted. I was working as a pharmaceutical salesper-son in St. Louis when my company was bought out. Being found to be “redun-dant,” I decided to take a shot at acting as a career in New York. In New York, I started working with a theater director and his production company. When he came to Los Angeles, he encouraged me to come out here and work. I followed the advice in 1999, and here I am.

Q: Are there ways that your faith and your work as an actor overlap?

Through the years, I have contributed my acting skills to the churches where I have belonged. I have directed small skits for worship services, and have done a number of readings and reader’s theater. There have been several plays through the years in which I have been asked to con-tribute hymns or scripture readings appropriate to the material. (Note: Janet’s

voice can be heard on Westwood’s weekly sermon podcasts and in various video productions.)

Q: Is it possible to be “out” as a person of faith in Hollywood?

I think it is. One’s faith affects one’s work, so my faith has always affected to the way I play sensitive material. In addition, I have had some very interest-ing conversations with actor friends

regarding faith and how it guides one’s life. Some have been agnostic, some have been spiritual but are “unchurched.” No one has ever ridiculed my beliefs, even if they are skeptical. Many people I find are seeking answers and actually appreciate an opportunity to discuss these matters.

I also have several actor friends who are active in their respective faiths. One is a soloist for Evensong in her Episcopal church. One is Jewish, and always gets an understudy for performances which coincide with High Holy Days. Another invited me to celebrate her birthday at a party thrown by her church. Yes, you can be religious and an actor.

Q: What do you think is the public’s biggest misconception about working in television?

Unfortunately, the current trend in reality TV has fostered the impres-sion that you can become instantly famous. But even reality show stars had to audition for their shows and had to be approved by a network or production company. When working as a casting as-sistant, I have met people with no acting experience who were auditioning because “it would be fun to be an actor.” It is fun, but it is a job. You have to show up on time, know your lines, and do the job. And it’s not a nine-to-five job, either. On one show I worked on, my call time (the time for me to come to work) was 6 p.m. and I did not get to the set until 2 a.m. Such is the glamour of Hollywood!

Q: Anything else?Believe it or not, acting is part of how

I found Westwood UMC. When I first came to LA, a friend had me drive him to auditions to learn my way around. After an audition in Santa Monica, we came back via Wilshire Boulevard. There I saw this beautiful church, which turned out to be Methodist! I came the next Sunday and I stayed. That was 1999.

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A CREATIVE EYE AT THE MARGINSBy Amanda Williamson

On a recent trip to Jordan, photo-journalist Paul Jeffrey met with a Syrian refugee whose home was destroyed in last year’s bombing. Souad Kasem Issa now lives in a small apartment with her hus-band and six children in Amman. They struggle to pay the bills and put food on the table. Paul wanted to capture the en-tire family in a photograph, so she agreed he could come by at mealtime when her husband was home. They ate on the f loor. Paul learned later that a neighbor had provided the food because the family was afraid there would be nothing to eat. “My photo op became their food op,” he wrote on his blog, Global Lens.

Paul isn’t just a photojour-nalist. He’s a United Method-ist minister and photographer for Response, the magazine of United Methodist Women. He’s also a missionary in covenant with Westwood United Methodist Church. In photos, he chronicles the stories of real people facing political unrest, poverty, hunger or natural disasters, and the work of the churches whose members provide relief, faith and hope. In addi-tion to Jordan, his recent travels have included Haiti, Mali, the Sudanese region of Abyei, and the Roma villages of Serbia, Macedonia and Bulgaria.

His work as a photographer comes with some extraordinary challenges. He often faces harsh weather conditions, armed guards and, more often than not, swarms of children at refugee camps that follow him everywhere and jump in front of his lens to get photographed. In a recent blog post, Paul wrote that to get images of daily life, and not just the

children, he often shows up at the camps really early in the morning, before the little ones awake. Or he comes up with a dance routine so that the children will stay behind him, mimicking the moon walk or Elvis. Or he’ll hand his translator one of his cameras and sneak off. In a few cases, he just runs for it.

The children have their moments, though. Three years ago, Paul wrote, he was on assignment when some poor Zimbabwean boys at a South African church started to ask him some ques-tions. They wanted to know if he knew Oprah, whether there were dirt roads or elephants in the United States, and how

much a mountain bike costs. Paul tried to steer the conver-sation back to them, compar-ing their life struggle to how Mexican migrants are treated in the United States, when one asked: “How can you tell who is a Mexican?”

Paul’s image of those boys graces the cover of a book released this year called Sanctuary: How an Inner-City Church Spilled onto a Sidewalk, the story

of that same church, which welcomed an inf lux of the poor and marginalized Zimbabwe-an population in South Africa’s Johannesburg.

It’s those kinds of stories that Paul says he seeks out in his travels. “I don’t report the pronouncements of politicians and pundits, but rather seek out those whose voice is often not listened to, who indeed too often remain voiceless,” he wrote in his most recent letter to his sup-porting congregations like ours. “As you and I try to understand the world around us, we need to listen more to those at the margins.”

we need to listen more to those at the margins

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His photos inspire. But there’s nothing quite like hearing Paul talk about his own experiences. On Tuesday, November 12, Paul will give a presentation of his recent travels at a free dinner hosted by Westwood UMC. Don’t miss it! The event starts at 6:30 p.m.

To RSVP, please contact the church office at wumc@westwoodumc.org

Clockwise from top: Women sell rice and other basic foods in Les Palmes, southern Haiti; Displaced families receive sorghum during a food distribution by the United Nations World Food Program in Agok, a town in the contested Abyei region of Sudan; Cisse Al-Husseini, age 9, eats the remaining porridge from a pot in Timbuktu, a city in northern Mali; The family mentioned in the article: Souad Kasem Issa and her husband Ziad Hasan Noaman, along with five of their six children, share a meal in the apartment where they live in Amman, Jordan; Early in the morning, a boy runs amid the tents in the Zaatari Refugee Camp, located near Mafraq, Jordan; A woman sells mangoes in the market in Sonougouba, Mali.

Amanda Williamson is a professional journalist and a member of Westwood UMC’s Mission Team

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Without Prayer, there is no Faith;Without Faith, there is no Love;Without Love, there is no Service;Without Service, there is no Joy or Peace...

-—Mother Teresa

Leanne Nakanishi joined Westwood UMC in 1994 after “church shopping” for several months. She stated that she was very moved by then-Pastor Sharon Rhodes-Wickett and her messages, feel-ing that Sharon was speaking directly to her. She was also impressed that a clergy-woman would hold the position of Senior Pastor.

Leanne, a graduate of UCLA with a major in English, had planned to attend law school but changed course the sum-mer after her graduation. She entered the business world and is currently employed as a real estate agent by Coldwell Banker. She manages to juggle her busy life at

work with many major commitments within The United Methodist Church – here in Westwood and beyond.

Early on, Leanne became actively involved in the life of our church by serv-ing on various committees, including the writing team for the congregation’s Mission and Vision Statements. I first became acquainted with Leanne in a Caring Ministry Group that formed at the church. Leanne was attracted to this group, in part, by her diagnosis of breast cancer. In our discussions, it became evident that Leanne was a very special person with many gifts to share with others.

Her insight and sensitivity were strong qualities which she has shared many times over the past two decades. Our relationship continued when Leanne chose to become trained as a Stephen Minister in our congregation. Those per-sons who became Leanne’s care receivers were, indeed, fortunate. Similarly, the other Stephen Ministers benefitted from her presence in the group.

Extremely creative, Leanne has often created anagrams, including the one be-low in which she shares about herself:

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Leanne Nakanishi

PROFILE IN SERVICE: LEANNE NAKANISHIBy Bette Caldwell

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Leanne was born in Los Ange-les and grew up in Huntington Beach with her parents and two

sisters.

Engaged to Gary, a Deputy State Attorney General; they have two rescue dogs, a 5-year-old Golden

Retriever named Simba and a 4-year-old Maltese-Poodle mix named Princess. Marriage and starting a family are in the works for next year.

A few of her volunteer positions in-clude California-Pacific Annual Conference UMW President

(for the past four years), Annual Confer-ence Co-Secretary (the first layperson to hold this position), Board of Trustees Secretary, Navigation Essential Ministry Team, Immigration Task Force, Bishop’s Border Ministry Team, and West District Secretary.

New highlight of last year was when she was elected as one of 988 General Conference

delegates representing our Conference in Tampa, Florida. She was also a Western Jurisdictional Delegate and was recently elected as the Western Jurisdiction Conference Secretary as well as serving on the Western Jurisdiction Leadership Team.

Near and dear to her heart is Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. She was the 2012

Volunteer of the Year for the Los Angeles Affiliate Office of Susan G. Komen. As a breast cancer survivor, finding a cure is a top priority for her and her family. She also donates time as a member of the Board of Directors for the Methodist Hospital of Southern California, which incorporates spiritual healing as part of the nurturing care offered.

Excited about her hobbies, which include dancing, exercising, eating at the newest and hottest

restaurants, and reading (not necessar-ily in that order)! She loves Westwood

church dearly as so many friends inspire her with sharing their faith, hope, and love in action.

Leanne’s term as President of the Conference’s United Methodist Women is coming to an end this fall, but her leadership is inf luencing the formation of a UMW unit at Westwood UMC. When you see Leanne, offer her a word of thanks for all that she has done, and continues to do, to enrich us all.

Bette Caldwell is Assistant Principal, Sec-ondary Counseling Services, at San Pedro High School. She has served as Editor of The Spire and the Los Angeles District page of Circuit West, as well as Chi State News, a publication of The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International. She has been a member of Westwood UMC since 1964.

UNITED METHODIST WOMEN AT WESTWOOD

Mark your calendars for these important dates:

Saturday, November 16 at 10 a.m. a gathering to talk about the 2014 year

Tentative Dates for 2014: January 11 • May 17

DEEP CHRISTIAN LOVE, passion for the reign of God, profound vision for the future of the Church of Christ, joyful heart: these are but a few of the thoughts that go through my mind as I think of Leanne. As Conference President of the United Methodist Women, as Co-Secretary of our Annual Conference, as a leader at our Immigration and Bor-der Concerns table – these are some of the places where I have been blessed to work with Leanne. She is always a clear voice, an encourag-er, and a challenger. She does not allow us to be mediocre in our work; she expects excellence, for excellence is what she gives and what she believes that God deserves. Throughout it all, her love of Christ and others shines through and flows upon us all. Thanks be to God for Leanne Nakanishi. I am praying for her, for the church, and for the world as God leads her to yet other places of service.”

—Bishop Minerva Carcaño

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MUSIC IN THE ARCHITECTUREBy Gregory Norton

I do not have enough time to read all the books I would like to read. But I really enjoy journals and magazines and subscribe to a number of them. One that I most look forward to is The Christian Century. The editors really take to heart their mandate– “Thinking Critically, Living Faithfully” – by featuring topics that range far beyond what one might at first expect from a clergy journal. The cover story of an issue several years ago was titled “Faithful Design,” and reviewed eight examples of contemporary church architec-ture from across the country

and the theological spectrum. In the article’s introduction, Michael J. Crosbie outlined a few over-arching characteristics found in the design of sacred buildings:

...Building materials are often precious and placed with care. They include carvings of symbolic and al-legorical meaning. Through their design and deco-ration, churches tell stories of faith. Stained-glass windows lift one’s spirits from earthly concerns. Vast interiors not only accommodate those who come to worship but are symbolically big enough for God to join us. The shafts of sunlight that spill from upper windows to the cool stone f loors below seem like lad-ders to the heavens...

As I read these words describing the art of the architect, I thought about parallels to the work of musical artists and clergy who are constantly challenged to “structure” the music of worship for a congregation. How do these choices get made? Do worship planners simply choose their favorites and subject the congregation to the result? At its best, I believe this pro-cess must seek to honor the best of the church’s inheritance and at the same time discern opportunities for renewal and change. Every church musician makes weekly decisions about repertoire. How might the architectural goals and aesthetics

mentioned in the previous paragraph be applied to making those choices?

Durability – No one can know the future, but we can make “educated guesses.” A given hymn may be fun today, but will it last? As we adopt new musical repertoire and forms for worship we must be watchful for what seems likely to stand the test of time. Otherwise we risk worshipping newness in place of God. No one would choose to build a church or temple out of card-board, no matter how cost-effective or innovative it might seem in the short-term.

Sanctuary – A church building is in the world, but offers sanctuary from it. Likewise, sacred music is inf luenced by the styles of composition that exist in the world – or existed in the world’s past – but also offers something more. Religious music, regardless of its resemblance to other music, must enable a community to worship God. Do the choices of musical reper-toire encourage the community of faith to direct its attention to God or elsewhere?

Accessibility – Most congregations try to erect buildings large enough to hold everyone in their constituency. There needs to be a place for everyone, and maybe some room for newcomers too! As we choose music for worship, is it somehow a means of worship for everyone? We may need to help people find “the door” to unfamiliar music (written in any period), just as they might need help finding their way on their first visit to a building.

Anyone who has visited more than one religious building knows that their designs can express the wildest imaginations of their architects and the variety of the congregations who commissioned them. To again quote the author Michael J. Crosbie, “When people build churches, they are embodying their faith in their own particular social world and histori-cal moment.” I believe we seek to express those same things through the elements and structure we select for our worship. At Westwood UMC this task is taken very seriously in both the 10:00 service and The Loft; many hours of planning and discussion stand behind each service and gathering. The plan-ners are guided by the implications of the “architectural” ideas mentioned above and by the characteristics of this particular locale and group of people. Westwood’s worship is Methodist, but also differs from other Methodist services. In some ways it is traditional, in other ways visionary – ref lective of who we are as a Christian community. It is by turns comfortable and chal-lenging, familiar and new. But, note by note, we are faithfully singing what we believe and believing what we sing.

Gregory Norton is Westwood UMC’s Minister of Music & Communications. greg@westwoodumc.org

PHOTO: PATRICIA SCHMIDT

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Waiting for the Light

ADVENT & CHRISTMASAT WESTWOOD

Important Dates

ADVENT WORKSHOPSunday, December 1 • 11:15 a.m. – 2 p.m.

The whole church family is invited to a time of creativity, lunch and fun in Fellowship Hall

CAROLS BY CANDLELIGHT CONCERTSaturday, December 14 • 7:00 p.m.

Music of the season performed by singers of all ages, string orchestra and the Shaffer Memorial Organ in the beautiful, candlelit Sacntuary

SCATTERED FOR SERVICEAlternative Giving • Fair-Trade Crafts

Sunday, December 8 – before & after the 10 a.m. service

Saturday, December 14 – before & after the concert (opens at 6 pm)

Sunday, December 15 – before & after the 10 a.m. service

W.O.W. CHRISTMAS LUNCHEONMonday, December 16th • 12:00pm

Westwood UMC Fellowship HallDelicious food, games, fellowship, music of the season

and good friends with Westwood’s Older Wonders

PARSONAGE OPEN HOUSE & CRÈCHE DISPLAY

Sunday, December 22 – following the 10 a.m. service until 2 p.m.

DECEMBER 24CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICES

5:00 p.m. – Family Service 10:30 p.m. – MESSIAH Prelude11:00 p.m. – Candlelight Service

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Westwood United Methodist Church10497 Wilshire Boulevard • Los Angeles, CA 90024

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2013 is a lmost over!NOW is a great time to...

...be sure your pledge to Westwood UMC is up-to-date

...consider making a year-end gift

...help plan for next year by making a pledge for 2014

Contact the church office today

Thanksgiving Luncheon Sunday, November 24at 11 a.m. in Fellowship HallTurkey, gravy, mashed potatoes and dressing will be provided; you’re invited to help with the rest! Expect a great time of fellowship as we celebrate God’s bounty and grace.