Palm Sunday at West Congregational

Since I was the narrator, speaking from directly behind the choir, I didn't get the best shot of them. In fact, all we see are their backs. But the Choir at West Congregational did an inspiring job performing their Easter Cantata yesterday. I am always amazed at this small gathering of women and the incredible sound they are able to produce. It was a joy to participate with them in this sacred service.

And here are the children carrying in the Palm Branches as the service began. I was also a little amazed watching this. In the Midwest, the children might come in with small fronds waving - here, entire branches! I was not used to this. It really added an aura of authenticity and drama that I was not accustomed to.

I am grateful to West Church for the invitation to join them, and for helping me get my Holy Week off to a blessed beginning.

Faith United Church of Christ Search Committee...

On a beautiful day in Central Arizona, I jumped in the car and drove up the Highway into Dewey. Waiting for me there were Carol and Bod, Steve and Barbara, Paul and Masha - in other words, the Search Committee.

They are preparing their profile, and will soon be ready to circulate it in their Search for a Pastor. We wish them well, and ask for the Spirit to guide them in this time of discernment.

First Annual Spring Clergy Convocation

Tuesday, I met with clergy from across New Mexico and El Paso in Albuquerque, while on Wednesday I met with clergy from across Arizona. This was the first Annual Southwest Conference Clergy Convocation - an event at which our clergy will gather to discuss topics relevant to our time.

In both settings, we reflected on our calls to ministry in a time of prayerful reflection and devotion. We then spent some time talking about the challenges and the joys we experience in our settings for ministry.

The Albuquerue crowd spent the rest of their time talking about changes they see coming in their ministry settings and about strategies for the Southwest Conference becoming more Multi-Cultural.

The Phoenix crowd began with the same prayerful reflections, but after that decided they would spend their time addressing the questions of effective means of Stewardship in times of diminishing resources and about how to maintain the integrity of the gospel's prophetic edge when many of our members are telling us not to mix religion and politics.

These were two very valuable days for me, and I want to thank all of my colleagues in ministry who gave time out of their busy, busy lives to be fully present for the Convocation. I look forward to doing this again next year.

The Vacation winds down....

The week is winding down. The visitors here are making their way home.

But we had a cookout around the pool last night, replete with a game of cards that went into the wee hours of the morning....


followed the next morning by our annual Dorhauer Fantasy League draft with trophies handed out from the year prior....


Then a trip this afternoon to Peoria to see the D-Backs play the Mariners (note the jerseys we are all wearing)....


And after than time for a AAA game on one of the back fields at the complex.


This has been a good week with brothers, Father, nieces and nephews. I will be ready to get back at it come Monday.

Dumber than a box of rocks....

A beautiful day in the Valley of the Sun.

"Why not go swimming?", you ask.

Well, because the water is just too darn cold.

That, however, never stopped a Dorhauer. After some golf this morning, we thought why not.

So here we are trying not to show just how darn cold it is and daring someone else to be the first to get out.

Jay and Jimbo...

More are soon arriving, but today I got to play a round of golf with two of my brothers. Jay, in the middle, is my baby brother and he lives in Yelm WA. Jimbo is the 5th of 7, and he lives in Odessa MO. Its good to be with them - I don't get to see them often. They are making the early part of my vacation pretty much fun. Can't wait for the others to arrive.

While on vacation....

Taking a much needed week away. My Dad, a number of brothers, and assorted others are gathering at Chez Dorhauer in Phoenix for some golf, baseball, long talks and whatever else moves us. I will post a few things through the week, and maybe you will come to know a little bit about my family.

I start with the latest addition to my in-house baseball museum - a painting of Christy Mathewson that my son finished last night. He knows this is one of my favorite players of all time - pitched in the first two decades of the last century and died young of a lung disease caused by a chemical weapon used in the First World War.

I'd say the week is off to a good start.

From a friend, colleague, and mentor

I have known Jane Fisler=Hoffman from the very early days of my ministry. She is currently serving as the Interim Conference Minister in Southern California=Nevada and is my mentor in Conference Ministry.

She wrote a blog this week asking her churches to contribute to the One Great Hour of Sharing offering taken in most churches this Sunday. I could try and capture the same sentiments, but why try? She did it so well. Here are her thoughts:

Why Give to OGHS when just gave to disaster relief?
Posted on March 12, 2010 by janefislerhoffman
Dear SCNC Friends,
[PASTORS AND LAY LEADERS, PLEASE SHARE WITH YOUR CONGREGATIONS ABOUT OGHS!]
This coming Sunday is the day designated for gathering the critically important annual One Great Hour of Sharing offering (though some may do so in later weeks as well and that’s fine…). I know that many of you have given generously to Haiti Relief through the UCC and/or Church World Service and GOD BLESS YOU for those gifts of love. They are making and will make life saving differences for the people of Haiti. But it is my fervent prayer that we will not let those gifts prevent us from generously, even more than ever, supporting One Great Hour of Sharing (OGHS) this year. Here are three reasons why that is so vital:
It was your giving to OGHS in the past that made it possible for the United Church of Christ to send immediate funds to our partners in Haiti and other disaster regions this past year. Some is always set aside for future unanticipated events like this.
OGHS is one source of our basic support for our own Wider Church Ministries and as the UCC for Church World Service. That basic support—unlike designated disaster funds—provides the absolutely essential ‘infrastructure’ of our excellent global organizations on the scene day in and day out to be sure that your ministry reaches those most in need. That basic support assures that your funds are well managed. That basic support gives you confidence asssure that our collective ministries are run in good faith, with best practices and in respectful partnerships. That basic support makes sure that we are in a position to help quickly and meaningfully when disasters strike, when wars or famine create displaced populations, and much more.
And your giving to One Great Hour of Sharing is doing even more than disaster response, every day, all around the world, on your behalf and in the name of our Christ. For instance: your giving builds schools and provides education to children from poor families in Laos. Your giving equips a network of community health educators in Chile and missionary doctors in India, East Timor and Haiti for ministries of healing. Your giving enables women in Egypt, Zimbabwe, Bosnia, and Ecuador to receive micro-credit loans, start small businesses and provide for their families. OGHS is so much more than disaster response!
Your generous responses to the Samoan tsunami, the Philippine floods and now the Haiti earthquake tell me that your generous spirits go deep and that you will not tire of doing good! But I hope this reminder will help you to know that giving to One Great Hour of Sharing makes possible a greater doing of ‘good’ than you might have imagined. So thank you in advance for helping us all grow our giving to One Great Hour of Sharing to do God’s work every day, all around the world.
Bless You, dear friends in Christ.
Jane

Rio Rancho and Sedona

Sunday morning found me worshipping with St. Paul's United Church of Christ in Rio Rancho.

We see first their Council pictured here, with whom I met before worship:

and then their choir, which did a marvelous job adding to the quality of the worship experience.

From there, I headed across the Conference to Sedona, encountering some snowy coniditions just south of Flagstaff.

I ended up in Sedona Monday afternoon in some pretty dreary weather, but as you can see it is still as beautiful as ever.


While there, I did some planning for the Annual Meeting worship service and later met with members of the Conference Church and Ministry Committee before heading home at the end of the day.

On the Road Again...

I'll say and show more later, but I'm back home after a long and peaceful drive to Albuquerque and back. The pics shows me eating my dinner in Gallop last night, and stealing wifi in a Sedona Coffee Shop this morning.

Glad for the trip, and glad to be back home. I'll post more tomorrow.

Been too long...

Sorry, but I have been off-blog for a little too long.

Spent last week in Tampa with my CM colleagues (that's Sheldon Culver and Mike Denton - two of my closest CM friends) - and some terrific things happened. We talked about how to do church in times of diminishment, and some very creative ideas emerged.

I have to say, that although we are experiencing some hard times - I feel new life breaking out all over. I will find a time and way to talk more about that, but last week was certainly a part of that.

This week has been a good one, but a pretty busy one. Along the way I have had meetings with quite a few different people - including some reps from a brand new start-up organization with one of the most creative ways to respond to homelessness and poverty I have ever heard.

Stay tuned - I'm back on line and ready to go!