Well, maybe one more...

I had forgotten I had taken this picture. This is, of course, our good and dear friend Cally Rogers-Witte. We are so proud of her - and here she is marching with many of us at Synod as we demonstrate for Health Care for All!

Here is a picture of Angie, who works in the office of the Center for Progressive Leadership. We, namely the Southwest Conference, and they (the CPL), are working to forge an alliance. We have many of the same interests, and are asking how our respective organizations might work more closely together.

Well, although my birthday was a couple weeks ago (in fact, while I was away at Synod), it was not until last night that Mimi and I were able to sit down for my birthday dinner, after which I got to open my presents. So, here I am doing just that.

Last shot of Synod, and a very special day

Here is a shot of the delegation, about two minutes after the close of Synod. What a great week we had. I am so very proud of each and every one of them. They worked very hard, they slept very little. Please feel free to call or invite them to your church for a recap of Synod, and a lively discussion about the key issues and main events.

I did not come home right after Synod. I flew to St. Louis to help my brothers and sister celebrate my Mom and Dad's 50th anniversary.
Here are my Mom and Dad, just seconds after opening their gift from their eight children (seven of them were theirs, the eighth we sort of adopted). The gift is a Mediterranean Cruise.


And one final shot. My Dad grew up as a caddie on the oldest golf course west of the Mississippi. He was a club pro, and turned down an invitation to play on the Tour. We have wasted many an hour on the course together, and while home this time I got to play with him and my two sons. Here he is still hitting it straight.

Remembering Synod

Memories and snapshots from a very special week in Grand Rapids:

Josh and Michael Ann on the floor of Synod...


Davin getting some quick texting in during a short break...


Caryn having some fun (um, those are tiny mints with the letters I Heart UCC on them)


Caryn and Pat on the floor of Synod...


Mark Clark on a Segway, touring downtown Grand Rapids...


Caryn showing she knows how to win a vote...


Alissa Marquis with Mary Lou Carson, our Southwest Conference Honored Laywoman


Remember this guy? Looking cool as the Conference Minister of the next host of Synod - Tamp Bay. See you all there...

Finally on the Floor

Here are our delegates listening, absorbing, reading, and voting on the floor of Synod.

It seems like weeks that we have been here, and the delegates are finally in Plenary and debating the hot topics of the day.

Looks like Caryn believes in the old Chicago aphorism: vote early, and vote often.

More fun at Synod...

These first two pictures are from a vigil held last night in Grand Rapids commemorating the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots in New York. As you can see, the Southwest Conference was well and visibly represented at the Vigil. One of the things I enjoy about Synod are the opportunities we are given to be a presence in the community in which Synod is held. Pictured here also are three men from the local LGBT community who had no idea who the United Church of Christ is, and who were overwhelmed when this crowd of 'Church People' showed up to be in solidarity with them.

Now, I have been writing about how wonderful Synod is, and the rich experiences that I have shared while here. This next picture tells a different story, though, and shows us that not everyone is all that thrilled with the experience.


Ah, yes. To each their own.

More Synod Happenings...

Here are two of our 40+ visitors, Marie and Sandi. One of the things that I am amazed by is how widely throughout the Southwest Conference the deep love and appreciation for the United Church of Christ and its mission is spread. That is evidenced by how many use their own precious time and money just to be here - with no real responsibility at all. I love that very much - it is really cool.

Here is our delegation piling into the van - which we do every morning around 8:00am. You may think that means they get to sleep in late each morning, but no. By this time we have spent the previous 90 minutes caucusing - going over the previous day's activities and talking about what is coming up in the coming days. Synod is very demanding on our delegates. They are often up till midnight or later, and the morning starts very early for them.

Here is our Honored Laywoman, Mary Lou Carson. She is standing next to our Moderator, Alissa Marquis. One of the best moments at Synod is the honoring of laywomen whose lives have been given in service to mission and justice. Mary Lou, a member of United Church of Santa Fe, was selected by our Board of Directors as the Southwest Conference Honored Laywoman.
We are very proud of her.

All we do is eat....

Breakfast, lunch, dinner - here we are just eating away to our hearts content. Part of the joy of Synod is sharing meal and conversation with good friends, some of whom you just don't get to see enough of.

I hope you can get a sense of how we use this time to build love, friendship, and unity in the body. Even our meals are time well spent: there is laughter, there are stories, there is dialogue on the important issues of our time - both at Synod and beyond, there is challenge. It's all good.