“Are you from Ottawa?”
That question is usually asked by longtime Ottawa people,
and I know what they mean. For a while, I
didn’t understand, but now I do. They’re
asking if my family, like theirs, lived here when I was born. Or did I grow up somewhere else?
So, I answer by saying “No, I grew up on a farm in McLean County,
between Bloomington and Pekin. I came to
Ottawa in 1973.”
And that’s how you can live somewhere for fifty-one years
and still not be from there. I get
it. And I really don’t mind the
question.
But I want to point out that those of us from somewhere else
add to our community. Take my friend Sam
for example.
Sam goes to my church, Open Table United Church of Ottawa,
downtown on the corner of Columbus and Jackson. Now that I’m retired, Open Table and the YMCA
are where I interact most with other people. You can get isolated during
retirement if you’re not careful. I value my association with both organizations
very much.
Like me, Sam isn’t from Ottawa. He grew up in Cleveland, went to university in
California, lived for a while in Chicago, and now teaches at the college level. Sam is married and raising his family in
Ottawa. And like many in our church,
he’s a lot younger than me.
Open Table UCC is an Open and Affirming church, meaning that
we opted as a congregation to be intentionally welcoming to members of the
LGBTQ community. “Intentionally
welcoming” is church code meaning we do more than put words on the website and
go about business as usual on Sunday. We
live that welcome seven days a week all year long. Not only talking the talk but walking the
walk. We’ve found offering a genuine and
meaningful welcome helps us reach younger people who as a group are more
comfortable with our stance.
Open Table sponsors and provides space for another
organization, Youth Outlook, to operate a weekly support group for LGBTQ young
people. The Ottawa Chapter of PFLAG
(Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) also meets at Open Table on the
third Sunday of every month. And of
course, there is worship, with open communion, at 10:00 a.m. every Sunday. We’re
a diverse and active congregation, young and old, gay and straight, attended by
people of all types and persuasions. I
feel good being part of it.
One of our most successful programs is Second Sunday
Lunch. We followed the lead of our
neighbors, the Episcopalians who began providing a free lunch to the community
years ago. After us, other churches signed
on: First Presbyterian, First United Methodist, Christ Community Church, and Trinity Lutheran. Now, each Sunday of
the year anyone in the community who needs or wants food, fellowship, or both
can enjoy a community meal in Ottawa. Your
local churches do more than you realize.
Back to Sam. He has a
lot of talents. In a past life, he was a
line cook at Hamburger Mary’s in Chicago.
There are eleven Hamburger Mary’s restaurants in cities across the
country. As a company, they support
LGBTQ organizations and causes in the communities where they operate.
As you know, there is a Pride Festival in Ottawa this
weekend. It begins with a Night of Remembrance for victims of violence against
the LGBTQ community on Friday the 7th in Washington Park at 7:00
p.m.. It is sponsored by Open Table
Church. Saturday opens with a parade,
followed by a day full of events in both Washington Park and the Jordan Block. Look for Open Table’s booth there. Ottawa’s Pride celebration includes a
performance by the Ottawa Community Gay
Pride choir, led by Open Table’s choir director Donna Martin. Ottawa Pride activities end officially on
Saturday.
However, on Sunday, in honor of both Pride weekend and
Hamburger Mary’s, Sam and his family are cooking Mary’s famous burger with
their distinctive fixin’s, hand-cut steak fries, side salads, and like every
Second Sunday Lunch meal, great desserts made by members of our congregation.
Hamburger Mary’s is famous for distinctive “mocktails”, or non-alcoholic drinks. So, added to the food menu on Sunday are Virgin Marys, Wonky Donkeys (a local takeoff on an NA Moscow Mule), and Orange Creamsicles – all with fabulous toppings. A Wonky Donkey is made of ginger beer and lime. I have a sneaking suspicion one of Sam’s kids may have gotten in on naming that drink. Sam is preparing lunch for a large crowd. So, if you would like to cap off Ottawa’s Pride Event with a hamburger only Mary (and Sam) can make, or just have a mocktail, please join us. We serve from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. June 9th. You’ll meet a nice group of people. As always, everyone is welcome. Really.
