Go, Tigers!

Last night, I wasted an evening watching my beloved Missouri Tigers battle it out on the baseball field with the dreaded Arizona State Sun Devils.

I say wasted not because I was at a baseball game, which is never a waste of time, but because the Tigers did not end up victorious. Drat!

My host for the evening was the inimitable Ray Gentry, who despite his offensive hat turned out to be a pretty good guy and enjoyable company. We disagreed a few times on the merits of decisions made by the plate umpire; he cheered often for all the wrong reasons; and he walked away oblivious to the pain I was feeling. Nonetheless, he was pretty decent about the whole thing and did share his peanuts with me let me sit on his cushion (which, since it had an ASU logo on it, I didn't mind ploppoing my backside onto). Ray is a member at the Scottsdale church.

No More Deaths

I was able to attend a meeting this morning at which I learned about the history and the ministry of a group called No More Deaths.

Laura Illardo, who is a social worker at Thunderbird High School and a member at Shadow Rock UCC, is pictured below and was one of the presenters.

I encourage you to go to their website, which I have linked to my blog (you will see the link if you let your eye wander to the right a bit).

I am moved by their work, and am hopeful that soon I will be able to take some of my own time to participate with them in their mission. This is one of those organizations that saves lives, and makes a real difference in the lives of real people.

A Disappointing Day Traveling Back Home

Snow in Chicago means....

I'm now in a Denver airport on Sunday morning...


and not where my heart longs to be, dedicating the new building at Good Shepherd in Sahaurita:

Mick was right: you can't always get what you want.

Still in Cleveland

As the Conference Ministers continue their work together here in Cleveland (ooh, its cold - and while you are at it, you can review this map of all 38 Conferences), and as the week drags on, we find ourselves this afternoon discussing topics such as...
whether or not to continue our UCNews Publication, details about the upcoming General Synod, current patterns in contributions to Our Church's Wider Mission and an array of other items.

We spent the last two days engaged in our ongoing Sacred Conversations. There was some import here, as you who have been following the scandalous cartoon in the New York Post will understand.

Two more days, and I come home, and I can't wait. Some of you have been reporting to me how nice the weather is - I miss it and I miss all of you.

While in Cleveland....

One of my favorite places, space where I have always felt the power of the Holy Spirit move, is the Amistad Chapel located on the ground floor of our National Offices in Cleveland.



That's where I am this week, and as a part of our time together as Conference Ministers we are taking part in Sacred Conversations on Race. We worship daily in the chapel, and one of our featured preachers will be Otis Moss III - the pastor of our largest UCC congregation, Trinity UCC in Chicago.



I am enduring 12 hour meetings a day here through next Saturday - hard work, to be sure, and good work. But our time in the chapel is deep and meaningful.

I hope many of you get a chance to visit our National Offices and officers. And when you do, you will not regret the time you take to while away some quiet moments in the Amistad Chapel.

some old news...

These are a couple of weeks old, but young and old gathered to demonstrate when Fred Phelps came to spew hatred.

These got posted on a Facebook site, and the combination of young and old coming together to communicate our essential message of love was very moving, and very powerful (and yes, that is I representing the old). Among the young are Daniel Baer, Annie Mellot, and Lindy Hernandez, who came all the way from El Paso to join us for this.

The G.S.A. you see on my sign stands for the Gay Straight Alliance, an organization found on many High School campuses across the country. All of my children were involved in their own when they were still in school (refer to the note about my being old). Fred Phelps chose this high school to condemn with his message of hate because they purportedly have the largest such organization in Arizona.

Last week, the Rev. Dr. Sam Mann not only preached at my Installation (scroll down to see a picture of him doing just that), he spent some time with the youth talking about Racism. Sam talked about growing up the Jim Crow south with a racist father in Eufala, AL. One youth asked how it was he turned out different, and we will all remember his answer: "I believed the song they taught me in Sunday School. 'Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world. Red and Yellow, Black and White, they're all precious in God's sight, Jesus loves the little children of the world.' "

We have our work cut out for us, we who also believe these words. And where hatred is preached, as it was this day, we must be present - as we were this day.

An event and a loss...

We want to thank Wally Ryan-Kuroiwa, pictured here, for his leadership at our Justice and Witness summit. 55 delegates gathered from all over the Southwest Conference - from Yuma to El Paso. It was an important event as we seek the counsel of our covenant partners to give shape to the work of justice in the Southwest Conference. As Maria Elena reminds us, though, there better be some action come out of this, cuz talk comes cheap. Amen

And I sadly give tribute to a man who had become my friend since arriving here in the Southwest, and who will always be fondly remembered by me for his choice of music as my candidacy was affirmed by the voters at last year's Annual Meeting: "Put Me in Coach." I loved Chuck Ballard, and I will miss him. He died Monday, with dreams both accomplished and unfinished. His devotion to his church, his pastor, and his beloved Southwest Conference made him the joy of many of our hearts. Goodbye, dear friend.

Installation

I will let the pictures tell the story. This was one of the most meangingful expriences of my life, and I hope to ride the wave for a long, long time.

Here is The Rev. Dr. Sam Mann stirring us all with the word:


And, with all apologies to Sam, here is my personal favorite moment: my son and daughter singing a moving rendition of Tracy Chapman's "Heaven's Here on Earth":


Mimi calls me over to lay hands on me and pray for my ministry:


Mark Clark, Chair of the Search Committee, lifts the Conference up in prayer:


Lee Albertson, host pastor, and A. Gayle Engel, the one who gave me my start in Conference Ministry and from whom I learned much, and the inimitable David Lyon sing along in to my favorite hymn, the title of which is my ever-present prayer in ministry - "Be Thou My Vision:"


Hans Holznagel and Moderator The Rev. Len Silvester perform the Installation:


Gayle presents me with the Conference medallion:


I worship with my family, missing our eldest son:


Alissa Marquis, Vice-Moderator, reads our Scripture for us:

We're This Close....

I have arrived in Albuquerque and will spend the afternoon and evening with old friends who have flown in to help me celebrate, and with the many new friends whom I have come to love and cherish since I arrived in late May.

I can't tell you how much this trip will mean to me.

For those of you who are planning to attend, my sincere thanks.

For those of you who are here in Spirit but can't make it here, especially all of you who sent me cards and calls - I also thank you.

Look for pics tomorrow.

There will be much rejoicing!

First Congregational, Tucson

I spent a wonderful day in Tucson on Sunday.

I preached at a church that is revitalizing itself, and is creating some new, invigorating, and enlivening worship: First Congregational UCC in Tucson.

It was a delight. I was actually the Chair of the Western Association Committee on Ministry that approved Briget Nicholson for Ordination - I can't tell you how proud I am of her and what she is doing.

I got to bring my drum and play along with the band, and here you see Gabrielle and Abigail warming the drum up for me before the service.


I asked Melissa Talley to take some photos for me, and so she did. This is one she took of herself - I think her goal is to appear on the blog as frequently as she can (I don't complain - it could be worse. Tom Garrison could have the same ambition. Egad.)