Retirement: The Celebration
Every so often someone experiences the good fortune of landing a job at just the right time and in just the right place. Such is the case for me. I came to Whitworth at just the right time; and it was just the right place.
I officially retired from Whitworth on May 9, after having served happily there for 32 years. Debbie Stierwalt planned the celebration. It was her third attempt, the first two postponed because of Covid restrictions. If you know Debbie, as I do, you know she went over the top in making it special. Thanks, Debbie, for your goodness of heart and attention to detail. Thanks to Keith Beebe and Mindy Smith, too, for presiding over the event. They and others fulfilled Paul’s command to “outdo one another in showing honor.” I just happened to be the recipient of their good will!
It featured some of the best people and speakers Whitworth can boast. Their short speeches—the ancient world called them encomia—demonstrated rhetorical mastery and modeled generosity of heart. I felt like I was listening to something as grand as Gregory’s tribute to Basil of Caesarea!
They spoke well of me, to be sure. But in the end the event was a celebration of Whitworth, its purpose and community, and an invitation to think about the past and future of the institution. It summoned us to remain at our posts and continue to serve its mission. Thanks to Bill and Beck, Haley and Lauren, Jim and Terry and Joe, who spoke so eloquently, and to Bonnie for playing a few of my favorite hymns. I will never forget your gracious contributions.
The event has been posted on YouTube. You can access it here: YouTube Link to Jerry’s Retirement Celebration Event
And thanks to my wife, Patricia, for hosting a feast for family and a few good friends in our beautiful backyard after the official celebration. She is such a consistent cheerleader of my calling and such a good human being. My son, John, and his family visited us from Seattle, and so did Monica, my former nanny. My sister and brother-in-law, Diane and Jack, drove from Lynden to join us in the festivities.
A retirement such as this provides an opportunity to look back and to look ahead. It is an exercise in memory as we reflect on the past and an exercise in imagination as we ponder the future. Still, there are constants that transcend retirement. We don’t retire from a relationship with God, nor from God’s church, nor from kingdom service, nor from friendship. The setting changes, but the calling remains the same, which is to fulfill the Great Commission and the Great Commandment. I invite you to join me over the next few weeks as I consider what retirement means from a Christian perspective.
