For our youth

I want to introduce you to Brian Gruhn. Many of you know him - he has been an active participant and leader in our youth movement here in the Southwest Conference for quite some time. He is serving as the youth director at Shadow Rock UCC. And now he has agreed to serve as our Interim Youth Coordinator for the Southwest Conference.

It is important to know two things.

1. Brian is a natural leader with youth. He is good at what he does. He has the respect and trust of many of the youth whom he will be serving. We are lucky to have him.

2. Brian is here for only a short while. The Personnel Committee will take some time to give definition to the position of Youth Coordinator. Brian's willingness to serve ad interim means that until such definition is given, we are able to continue serving the youth of this Conference with purpose, integrity, and quality - as we were under the very able leadership of Michael Ann Verizoglu.

So, welcome Brian! And to all our youth, be assured that the great times you are used to having will continue.

A Fisherman's Tale

We have been lifting Frances Rath up in prayer over the last few weeks, and this is just a short note to all of you to let you know that he is doing well.

In fact, take a look at the picture and judge for yourself.

He and Marge have been touring the Kenai peninsula in Alaska, and they sure do look to be having a great time.

We wish Frances the best as he faces procedures to deal with his cancer, and we celebrate with him the life and vitality that are clearly his to be enjoyed. May it please God to abide with him in the days to follow.

A Busy Weekend

Well, let me give you a glimpse of a Day off - I do like to play hard.

The morning started with a hike around the Papago Mountain. Molly and I took the morning and climbed around. Some great views, more than a little exertion, some risky forays out over the rocks all made for an enjoyable morning with some spectacular views.

A little later in the day, Adam and I gave the TPC at Scottsdale a whirl. Someone directed me to a site where you can buy tee times at some nice courses for a very reasonable price, and two days later Adam and I are teeing off on a legitimate PGA course. We didn't do badly there, either. A great time, to be sure.

Friday night brought another passion and pleasure of mine - baseball. It would be the first time in 12 years I would get to see Randy Johnson pitch (that is he on the mound), and he did not disappoint. Though his teammates let him down by blowing the lead that would have given him the win, Randy struck out 13 in the game before leaving after 7 innings. A masterful performance, and brought back memories of a man who once dominated the game. My brother Jay that very night was watching a young phenom pitcher throw in San Francisco - one Tim Lincecum. We texted each other all night long. That added to the pleasure of the night.

Saturday was just as busy, though somewhat less exciting. It began with a couple early hours in the office, followed by a meeting at the I-Hop with some Youth Ministry reps, followed by an important Conference call at 9:15, followed by a meeting with the Conference's Youth and Outdoor Ministry Committee. They are pictured here.

Sunday began with a trip up the Highway to Dewey to help them celebrate the ministry of Rev. Sigmund Podlozny, who will preach his last sermon there next Sunday before he heads to Boston and retirement. I apologize for the quality of the picture, but want to post it anyway.
That is Sigmund sitting at the dinner table next to my lovely wife. That trip was followed by a relaxing afternoon in the home of Cathy Kim, who served on the Search Committee that called me here and who has been an angel to Mimi and me. She gathered with the Mission of Service committee from Church of the Beatitudes in Phoenix, and we talked about the value of covenant partnership, and all the ministry that is made possible by their Contributions to the wider church through OCWM. I am grateful for that conversation, and for the prayers that were promised for me and my ministry as I left them to finish their work.

This was a good weekend.

Monti's

Once a month, a rather desperate looking group of folk gather at a southeast Phoenix area location and try to eat a meal together without being asked to leave the Restaurant.

Who are these people? Well, mostly clergy in and around the Valley here in Phoenix.

Today we heard from...

Jim Riggins (seated next to that handsome man in the picture above, and next to Luis in the picture below) whose choir has been asked to travel to New York next June to perform at Carnegie Hall to celebrate the 70th anniversary of one of the Church Music publishing houses (congrats! to the members of West Congregational UCC!)

Luis Gonzales (pictured here reacting to my announcement that the St. Louis Cardinals are the best team in the history of baseball) was introduced to the group. He is serving as the Pastor at an emerging new Hispanic church start nested at Church of the Beatitudes: TOX ministries. He also brought with him his Associate Pastor and musical director Alfonso.

John Herman (who had nothing of interest to say or share, we just heard from him -over and over again)

Brian Frederick-Gray, new to the group who just Tuesday was invited to begin Intentional Interim Ministry at Encanto Community UCC near downtown Phoenix

Kristen Barner, the newly called Associate Pastor with Steve Davis (prayers for her, people, prayers) at Shepherd of the Hills and who last week (if you read my blog you know this) both received a License to serve there AND was taken In-Care as she prepares for Ordained Ministry in and on behalf of the United Church of Christ

Tina Campbell, doing chaplaincy work at Scottsdale Community Health Center in, well, Scottsdale, who shared with us her experiences as both a water polo player AND a synchronized swimmer



There were others present, but we need not waste all your time. We had a good time. This group tries to do this every month. Things went a little better this time because Steve Wayles could not be there - the general behavior of the group improves dramatically in his absence. Not only that, the stories we can tell about him when he's not there are always more entertaining than the ones he lets us share about him when he is there.

Believe it or not, the ministry we undertake together is in the hands of these capable women and men. In all seriousness, we are blessed because of them. We should all be thankful for their service, their time, and their commitment to both their ministry and to each other.

A Visit, A Hearing, and a Celebration

I began the morning with a trip to Mesa to visit with Rev. Paul Whitlock, pastor at the Desert Heritage United Church of Christ. (This is not the best picture, I apologize - still learning the ins and outs of this new camera).

The church has a fascinating history, as it reshaped itself in the early '90s when a group from a nearby Disciples of Christ Congregation arrived and breathed new life into a flagging membership.

This is a church with a heart for Mission.

About 1/3 of their square footage is dedicated to very comfortable meeting space for families that are trying to figure out how to remain family, and whose court ordered, supervised visits become a way of helping them put the pieces of their lives back together again. Rather than hosting those visits in the basement or hallway of some state facility with folding chairs, a table, and now windows, the church opened their space up to them. The back rooms of the church are beautifully furnished with large, comfortable couches and chairs, pool tables, air hockey tables, nursery space, children's play areas, television sets, a nice kitchen - by golly, it feels like home! This is a great use of space, and a meaningful mission for the community.

The front of their sanctuary was covered with food and empty boxes. The food is collected by the members, boxed nicely, and shipped to soldiers in a troop overseas that has in it one of their very own members.

And the church sends a volunteer every day to Pax De Christo, a center where homeless receive hot meals. They collect food for that, help staff it with volunteers, and even take their turn in rotation PAYING to cook and serve some of the meals there.

A little later in the day, I attended a hearing on Prop 200, a proposal written by Payday lending organizations who get away with writing loans that earn them almost 400% annually (the exact figure is 381%). The referendum is touted by the Payday lenders as a reform bill that would help regulate their practices. It is anything but. In fact, hidden away on page 7 of that referendum (again, written by them), is this line: "Section 6-1263., Arizona Revised Statutes is hereby repealed." Guess which section of the Arizona Revised Statutes regulates this part of the lending industry?

I left their angry. I hope to be able soon to share more information about this referendum, and about lending practices of this niche market that prey on the poor, the young (college freshmen at ASU in the last year more than doubled their use of this option), and the desperate - leaving them poorer and more desperate.

And finally, on a much happier note, I went home and cooked dinner for my wife and children as we all helped her celebrate her 26th birthday (that is, 26th with me -how many came before that I am contractually obligated not to reveal).

Thanks for listening, back in touch soon.

First Congregational UCC, Prescott AZ

Mimi and I spent a magnificent morning in worship with our friends at First Congregational United Church of Christ in Prescott AZ.

Rev. Valerie Garrick is serving as their Interim Minister. I had the honor of serving on the Committee on Ministry in the Western Association of Missouri when Valerie was presented as a candidate and authorized for ministry in and on behalf of the United Church of Christ. Little could I know that these many years later our paths would cross in this way.

I also met a gentleman who pitched for the Philadelphia Phillies - and we had to be very careful. We could have spent the entire morning, and the potluck dinner that followed, doing nothing but telling baseball stories to one another.

It was only through an act of discipline and commitment to my preaching responsibilities that I was able to break myself away from him and go on to meet, greet, and share meal and fellowship with the rest of the good people at the church. Just one more note before I leave this thread: as impressed as I was by the fact the he pitched for the Phillies in an all too brief career - I would learn something else from him that impressed me even more. He pitched against Ty Cobb!

In case you are not as impressed as I was, I should point out that Ty Cobb began his major league career in 1905, and ended it 23 years later in 1928. This man of whom I speak looked relatively young. Turns out he was 15 at the time he threw that pitch, and Ty Cobb was in his 70s. He says the elderly Cobb laid down a bunt on him. I love this stuff.

But back to the church. Mimi and I had a nice lunch with all, and met with them as they shared dialogue about their Mission Statement, their Shared Values, and the plans to remodel a church basement that both houses a pre-school and is rife with mold and in need of repair. They have a lot on their plate right now, and we lift them up in prayer through this time of transition.

After the morning and early afternoon at First Congo, Mimi and I went down and spent a little time in a town Square that it seems in some ways time has forgotten. Whiskey Row is replete with saloons, salons, and even (they tell me - I neither saw it nor looked for it) an active Brothel. We did a little shopping before heading back in the early evening hours for home sweet home.

Another Brother

I had promised earlier to introduce you to all my siblings, with whom I maintain a pretty close relationship, even though we just don't get to see each other very often these days.

I already told you about Jimbo - next comes Jay.

Jay is the baby of the family. He is eleven years younger than I am. After he graduated from college (don't ask what he studied - he didn't. He was there on a soccer scholarship, and while he did get a degree in Social Work, it might just as well have been under-water basket-weaving.)

After Jay graduated from college, he spent three years doing volunteer work for the Jesuit volunteer corps. He ended up spending those three years in Alaska, where he met his wife, who was also a volunteer.

When they first met, they did not like each other. In fact, I think she despised him (who could ever feel that way about my brother?). They would come to appreciate, and even love each other. A marriage and three children later, they are a very happy family.

Jay married up. He promised to work to put his wife through med school, and then she graduated, finished her residency, and Jay retired. He's a stay at home Dad, and is as good a father as any child could hope to have.

I have to tell you, I do get a little sick of his mid-day phone calls. They go something like this: "What ya doing?" "Can't talk, I'm in the middle of a meeting." "Really? I'm sweating a little coming off the golf course. Guess we'll talk later."

He has a daughter Abby, who is starting school this fall. A son Peter who is a free spirit who loves to argue with his grandfather, and a daughter Holly who is a little over a year old. They are adorable. Thank God Cheri (his wife) had some decent genes to pass along.

Jay and I have taken a number of memorable trips together. He went with me and my two sons in 1996 on a baseball tour that took us to 14 cities in two weeks, a baseball game in a different city each night - including Cooperstown. He was with me in Cooperstown when we saw Ozzie Smith inducted into the Hall of Fame. And he was with me last year on a week long golfing trip to Hilton Head SC. This picture of him was taken on the 14th hole of the Arnold Palmer course there - the one on which he got his hole-in-one (he would never forgive me if I didn't mention that). The first picture at the head of this article is more indicative of his true abilities, though.

Well, enough of Jay. My baby brother is a good guy - as much a Cardinal and baseball fan as I.

And now that you've met Jimbo and Jay, I only have Janice, Jeff, Jerry, and Joe to go.

CoCAM welcomes two new ministers

Among the various and sundry tasks performed on your behalf by the Committee on Church and Ministry today, two women were granted Licenses for Ministry.

Kristen Barner, who has been called as the Associate Pastor at Shepherd of the Hills in Phoenix, met with CoCAM and was granted her License to serve in that church. She is a graduate of Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. She is coming to us from the Presbyterian church, and will continue to work and meet with the Committee as she proceeds toward ordination. The Committee also voted to receive her as an In-care student. I must say, it was delightful to meet her, and her authorization was given with much enthusiasm and joy. She will be a gift to the Shepherd of the Hills church.

Jessie Sustaita drove all the way in from El Paso with two members of La Trinidad Congregational UCC to meet with the Committee. She tells a powerful story of their church's commitment to survival, mission, and ministry over 118 years. She has been associated with the church since 1979, and joined as a member in 1982. A little over a year ago, she felt called to provide leadership to the congregation, and today came requesting Licensure for her ministry. Her story, her passion for her people, her clear call to present a ministry where all are welcome, and her desire to be a part of a church that seeks to make all one in Christ came as a blessing to us. We were proud to extend to her and to the members of La Trinidad not only the hand of Christian love and fellowship, but a License to serve as their pastor. It will come as a great and profound joy to me to be present with them in November both to present her with her License and to celebrate their 118th anniversary.

And so, we are a better people today because these two very different, yet very gifted women have been called and authorized to serve in ministry along side us. We pray God's blessings upon them both, and upon us, as we now covenant with them to walk this journey together in partnership and in love.

A meeting and a trip

I wish to begin by thanking the Personnel Committee for the time and effort they gave on Monday. Many of them travelled a long way to be here for this meeting. Their time here was well spent. They were focused and intent on not only finishing what we had come together to take care of, but also on doing it with integrity. You have been well-served by them.

Tuesday, I spent the entire day in Nogales, a border town wherein can be found United Churches Fellowship United Church of Christ.

Rev. Dave Jernigan, a rough and tumble man with a heart of gold and a passion for mission, escorted me throughout the town. We visited the Boys and Girls Town where the Licensed Pastor Emeritus (Emery Boepple) works three days a week as a volunteer; the Old Courthouse and Community College where Dave often teaches; the Wall - a border structure that stands as a monument to our confusion about who we are and how we relate to our neighbor; the Episcopal church and priest; the United Church Villages, a 48 unit low-income housing complex for the aging built by the church in the early 70s; and a few other places in between.

I met with members of the church for a couple of hours in the afternoon, learning a little bit about their history, their commitment to outreach and mission, and their desire to see the church grow (this also accompanied by their concerns about how to do that given a number of circumstances that might compromise their ability and desire to grow).

Dave and I dodged the deluge that poured down while we ate a late afternoon lunch, a deluge that sent flood waters down main streets, canals, rivers, and washes and that made the river crossing that would have shortened our trip back home dangerous - we went around.

I met briefly with a group of women from the church who gathered for an evening meal and would later spend time planning their activities for the year. I encountered one snake (yes, I hate them) and one tarantula (yes, I hate them).

I left as dusk fell, drove about 40 miles before I would find a place to fill up with gas, and promptly, inadvertently, and exasperatingly got back on the highway driving in the exact opposite direction I needed to in order to actually return home. In my defense, it was dark by then (I agree, not much of an excuse). I would return all the way to where I started before the light-bulb in my dim brain would go back on and I would start the journey home again, an hour or more later than it was when I started.

All in all, a good day.

Rio Rancho

My daughter, Molly, and I drove up to Albuquerque for the weekend. We sang "Take It Easy" by the Eagles as we drove through Winslow, AZ and "Carefree Highway" by Gordon Lightfoot as we drove by, well, the Carefree Highway (they would play it on the radio about an hour later). We wore out the Satellite Radio, listening to Cards/Cubs (a good result on Saturday, a terrible result Sunday) and 70s tunes - to which I dance and sing while I drive.

We shared a wonderful evening with Francis and Marge Rath, who introduced us to their Dalmation Archie and treated us to dinner. We wish them both the best as they take off for an adventure in Alaska.

As fate would have it, the gentleman that introduced me to Conference Ministry, The Rev. A. Gayle Engel, would be in Albuquerque vacationing with his wife, Donna. I served on his staff for three years before he retired, and learned a great deal from him. We met at the I Hop in Alb., and talked for a couple of hours before we headed over to worship in Rio Rancho. I owe a great deal to that man, and am proud to have been able to serve with him even for a short while.

Sunday morning we attended services at St. Paul's UCC in Rio Rancho, and with apologies to Church of the Red Rocks in Sedona and Shadow Rock in Phoenix, they have a view of the surrounding landscape that rivals any. Rev. Lynne Hinton, who was celebrating her first anniversary at the church, did a beautiful job leading worship and preaching. I could tell just how much her members loved her - because they all told me so.

Following the service and some time in Fellowship Hall, Lynne and her husband Bob took me and Molly out for lunch at my new favorite restaurant - Le Pinto (I think I remember that correctly. Its where I was taken when I was in Albuquerque in June). Molly and I went from there to do some birthday shopping for her mother, and then we drove home - not quite in time to do the drive through Sedona before the sun set on a glorious weekend.

Black Mountain Community Church

I spent an evening earlier this week with some of the leaders of the Black Mountain Community Church. They are beginning to discern whether or not they are being led to affiliate with the United Church of Christ.

They have a beautiful church, set in desert scenery with a large sanctuary window that affords the worshippers a spectacular view of the Black Mountain. I am told that sometimes they are distracted by horses wandering by.

After dinner together in the home of one of the members, we spent a couple of hours addressing important questions. They have a lot to think about and pray over. I invite us all to lift them up in prayer. If it be their will, we will join them in the time of discernment, and collectively determine if, how, and when this church might choose to affiliate.

These are weighty matters, and among the most satisfying that I undertake on your behalf. Soon, we will begin discussions with another church about sharing dual affiliation with the United Church of Christ. As that moves forward, I will let you know more about it. For now, let us lift up the good people at Black Mountain Community Church.

Since I Last Posted…

Sorry I have taken so long, but I have been on the road and am just getting a chance to report.

Thursday last, I went to spend the morning with the leaders at Faith United Church of Christ in Dewey, Arizona. I will be working with them in the coming months as they navigate their way through a time of Pastoral Transition. They sure would be happy to know that all of you who are reading this will lift them up in prayer.

I came right home from there and flew to New York. I hear some of you asking: “Do we have a church in New York?” Well, no. But there is a place called ‘Yankee Stadium’ there, and they tell me they are tearing this Cathedral down. So, I found a free day between a trip to Dewey and a three day Still Speaking seminar in New Orleans (more about that in a second) to treat my son to a birthday extravaganza: one more game in Yankee Stadium before they tear it down.

And now I am in New Orleans. What a great culture this is: I have had red beans and rice, local desserts, local brews (don’t tell anyone about that), and sampled some great jazz. I am here with a small group assembled from across the denomination to address the question about how we breath new life into the Still Speaking campaign. Before the week is out, the Conference will send out an In the Loop edition that will include my report about this event. We are in the middle of it as I write this (I love to multi-task), and some really cool ideas are emerging around this.

Keep my in your prayers. I return home tomorrow evening, and will spend that time re-introducing myself to my wife and daughter. Pray for me as I travel.