Our speaker today was introduced by Tony Parrille.  Reverend Phil Wood (Philip Bertolo Wood) is the Senior Pastor at Church of the Good Shepherd in Arcadia.  He was first appointed as Senior Pastor on July 1, 1996.  Born in Los Angeles and raised in Whittier, California, he attended Cal State Fullerton, the ILIFE School of Theology (University of Denver), the Claremont School of Theology, and Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena. First ordained in 1972, his appointments prior to Arcadia included Huntington Beach, Oxnard, Chula Vista, Monterey Park, San Gabriel, and Glendale.

Rev. Wood began by pointing out that today was Good Friday.  He then asked Jay Harvill and Mike Real to please stand.  We had heard earlier in the meeting that the two of them were going skydiving the next day and he jokingly said they were Good Christian Boys who were thinking about joining Jesus in the tomb tomorrow!

The Rotary Meeting the prior week had been held at the fellowship hall at Church of the Good Shepherd and Rev. Wood reminded us that Rotary was always welcome.  He continued, light heartedly declaring that it was good to be back home – “it’s like church; I haven’t been here in a year.”

He then turned to a serious topic, the recent vandalism at the church.  The thing that was most concerning was that there was a portrait of his wife in his office and they burned the picture of her face.  There is some suspicion that the perpetrator(s) may have also been responsible for the vandalism at Holy Angels Church.

Rev. Wood is ½ Italian.  His grandparents were here in the early 1900s.  The area which today is Chinatown was then known as “Little Italy”.  There were anti-immigrant riots, houses were burned, and the Italian community was driven into the Lincoln Heights area.  This is where he remembers visiting family, especially Grandma Ducky.  Grandma D spoke that unique language known as Italish.  You didn’t want to get on her bad side and if you did you were going to hear “Come-a-over here. I-a-gonna hit you”.  If you tried to run it was only going to be worse.

Grandma D held fast to some basic Italian truths, in many ways the same truths as the Rotary 4-Way Test.  Is it the Truth?  Grandma D would say “you better tell-a-the truth”.  She always had this bar of Ivory soap and although no one ever saw her wash anything with it, you’d better watch what came out of your mouth or that Ivory soap was going to be used to remind you!  Regardless of your particular religious beliefs, all religions tell us we are to seek goodness and be good.  It is common truth.  Seek it and embrace it.  Is it fair to all concerned? Will it build goodwill and better friendships?  Grandma D would say “hug-a-one another”.  Will it be beneficial to all concerned?  Grandma D would say “be a good-a-boy, be a good-a-girl”.

Grandma D never talked politics and she never let religion stand in her way.  When Rev. Wood became a minister, she wanted to know if he believed in the Virgin.  He replied that he did and that was good enough for her.  She took him to lunch and introduced him to everyone in the restaurant.  She explained to them that he was “just like us” but lucky because he could get married.

Rev. Wood explained that what really matters is doing good things and being good people – not just on Holy Days but every day.

So, back to Mike and Jay in the tomb:  Mike said at least he had a friend with him (pointing at Jay) and Rev. Wood replied “You’d better”.  Jay, glancing back at Mike, said “I believe in him” and Rev. Wood responded “God Bless You”.

In closing he said that it is not the ritual or, as they say in the trade, the Smells and Bells. It is being good every day.

Ciao