My top ten list of things for which I am thankful right now...

10. Two newly installed pastors, Matt Smith in Silver City NM and Sharon LIttrell in Rio Rancho NM.
9. An Executive Board and a Mission Planning Board who are very good at what they do.
8. A clergy retreat two weeks ago that gave me the opportunity to hang out with some pretty amazing pastors.
7. Two churches that, right now, are doing some amazing work and growing like crazy: Faith in Dewey and COGS in Albuquerque.
6. A Committee on Church and Ministry that takes its work very seriously and is building confidence with our covenantal partners.
5. A group of cherished friends and colleagues in the Council of Conference Ministers with whom working side by side is an honor.
4. A very successful Mission1 effort!
3. Barbara and Holly: enough said.
2. Mimi - who makes coming home every day a true joy.
1. The St. Louis Cardinals winning the World Series.

Ecclesiastical Councils Three

Three Councils over 8 days; two churches; a couple hundred miles in between - but the same result each time.


Christ Hinkle

Alan Joplin

Beth Frigard


All successfully completed their Ecclesiastical Council. The first two were held at First Congregational UCC in Tempe, and the last one at Rincon UCC in Tucson.

We lift them each up in prayer as their new vocational careers in ministry begin. May it please God to bless them along the way.

It Is Official:

W. Mark Clark has been elected as the Associate General Minister and President of the United Church of Christ.

Let me share our deep and profound joy for and pride in this child of the Southwest Conference.

More from Synod

I love Synod!

Immokalee farm workers (who led a successful boycott of Taco Bell for using tomatoes picked by underpaid and abused farm workers) were present and led a March to protest Publix Supermarkets. We marched with them and led our protest for their own use of underpaid farm workers. We came out in large numbers on this 4th of July - I am so proud of the United Church of Christ!

More from Synod...

Though there have been many, and I mean MANY, incredible moments at Synod, I can't imagine there will be a better one than this.

W. Mark Clark delivers his Nomination Speech to Synod, and the floor planners put the Southwest Conference delegation table directly in front of the podium from which he spoke.

By the time he finished, we were all in tears. We were moved. The Spirit is in this, and we lift Mark up in prayer as he begins his ministry as an officer of the United Church of Christ.

A side-note: Mark came and spoke to our delegation during our morning caucus yesterday morning. Before he left (he had three breakfast meetings that day), we formed a circle around him, laid hands upon him, and lifted him up in prayer.

I took this picture while he was speaking, and the background seemed appropriate: the sun is rising on W. Mark Clark, and under his leadership on the United Church of Christ.

Music come alive as we 'imagine what's possible'!

The remarkable musical duo Nuttin' but Strings' enlived Synod this morning as two young men from Jamaica Queens escaped the violence of their streets by making music. These Juliard trained musicians combine Hip-Hop and Classical music to communicate in very powerful ways what it means to be multi-cultural.



This is an unexpected surprise!

Postings from Synod....

Throughout the week, I will be posting pics and stories from Synod.

Synod is, in one way, about meeting and greeting friends with whom you renew acquaintances.

Here are two dear friends, one from another time and place, and one from a Pastor in the Southwest attending his first Synod.

This is the Rev. Diane Hampton, chaplain in the US Navy and a dear friend of mine from when I knew her as the pastor of our Church in Joplin, MO.

This is the Rev. Dr. Vernon Meyer, pastor at Sun Lakes UCC south of Phoenix and, like me, an alum of both Prep North High School and Cardinal Glennon College.

So far, Synod is a blast!!!!

Wish you were here. Stay tuned for more.

Away at Camp...

I used to do this every year.

Then I went into Conference Ministry, and just couldn't make it happen.

This year I made it happen.

When asked if I miss working in the parish, I say no. I am doing what I was called to do, and love what I do. But then I add: "What I miss is working with the youth and children." Conference Ministry just doesn't afford me many opportunities to do that.

And so what happened this week came as pure joy to me.



There was the lunch in an amazing setting:



Children falling asleep exhausted after a full day in the lap of someone they trust:



Getting to know a quirky, energetic, fun-loving group of kids:



Playing in the water on a hot day:



Meeting a ton of new friends:



Let me add one more thing: the youth and young adults who volunteer their time to make these experiences come a live for our children are among the most dedicated, passionate, creative, faithful, brilliant, energetic, and committed people I have had the pleasure to work with. Our program staff, our counselors, our volunteers give the Southwest Conference a good name. I am proud to work with them, honored to have won their trust, and lucky to have spent this time with them:

Red Rocks

This past Sunday, I drove up to Sedona to participate in the Installation of the Rev. Dr. Donna Cavedon as the Associate Pastor at Church of the Red Rocks.

It was, to be sure, a magnificent afternoon and evening.

I will let the pictures tell the story.

Here is the view as you walk up to the church - it is stunningly beautiful:


Here is Donna pictured with the Sr. Pastor, The Rev. Dr. George Ault. They look very happy, don't they:


Here is Donna with the Confirmands, all of whom were willing to participate in this Installation:


And here I am with Donna and the one we simply refer as The Saint, the Rev. Dr. Dosia Carlson:

An Historic Church Closes Its Doors...

This is a picture of First Congregational Tucson early in my tenure here in the Southwest Conference.

On Saturday, we gathered as a Conference to dissolve the church. It was a sad, celebrative day. A day in which a church's history was recounted with pride and dignity. A day when tears were shed - some of them in grief, some of them in joy.

Mission partners were present to receive gifts from the proceeds of the sale of the property: HIV-AIDS support networks, relief agencies for Somali refugees and Zambian orphans, Camp scholarships, and new church starts - among others.

Cakes were cooked from recipe books published by the church in 1909.

Names and faces and stories attached to them emerged throughout the afternoon.

A courageous former Missouri Synod Lutheran preacher came back home to the church that was first willing to receive her ministry: the Rev. Dr. Donna Schaper.

If you want to see more, go here and see how a very good photographer captured images that tell a deeper story about the day. His images reveal much.

A Full Weekend

What a rich and joyous weekend this was! It was one of those weekends that reminds me how fortunate I am to be offering ministry in a setting like the Southwest Conference.
On Friday, Josh Whistler graduated from Iliff Seminary. We are very proud of Josh. We lift him up in prayer and look forward to him completing his steps toward Ordination.

On Saturday, I spent the morning and afternoon with a creative and energetic group of youth, young adults, and (ahem) more mature adults planning our Church camps for the summer. Here are some photos.
A group deep in thought, no doubt diggin up some profound biblical insight and finding a creative skit, game, or activity they will use to communicate that insight:

And somewhat less insightful, but no less delightful, Ray Gentry dancing to Michael Jackson's "Thriller." Ray and his wife Donna came to cook for the camp planners and provide us lunch.

On Saturday evening, I attended a 20th anniversary celebration for Steve Davis, who has completed 20 years of ministry at Shepherd of the Hills UCC in Phoenix. The celebration included a 'Cabaret' - replete with Steve being serenaded over and over again, a clear outporing of love, gratitude, and pride for their pastor:

And here Steve Davis is at the end of the night sharing laughter and joy with a dear friend, the Rev. Steve Wayles:

And then Sunday I drove up to Dewey, AZ where Faith Community United Church of Christ celebrated the Installation of their new Pastor, the Rev. Diane Thomas. Here she is with her good friend, and preacher for the day, the Rev. Ken Heintzelman:

Among those attending the service was a founding member, Anna Parker, whose husband was also the founding pastor of the church.

What a full weekend this was. I leave it with a deep sense of joy and satisfaction.

A Documentary in the Making

The following was sent to me by David Mellot, member at Church of the Beatitudes. He has spent the last year working on a Documentary film called "The Exodus." He is hoping the finish production in time for an early December release. I invite you to read his words, check out his website, and if you feel so inclined, donate to support the production of this remarkable project.

When SB1070 was signed we were at the annual meeting.

The SWC decided to boycott by having the next meeting in New Mexico.

A short time later a portion of the TOX ministry's congregation (who had and remain nested at Church of the Beatitudes Phoenix AZ) decided to move, "as a matter of safety".

We went with them and filmed the trip and the "extravagant welcome" they received in their new locations.

When the first post-signing "big march" happened, the full page ad
and Rev.Felix came and marched with us as we filmed.These pictures are from that March:






Revs. Linda and Geoffery went to Arizona to see for themselves the conditions in
Phoenix and in Sahuarita and got a tour of the water stations near the border.
We were there filming as they witnessed the situation.

It has been almost a year since we started and there is so much more to do.

I am sending you all a link to the website for our film "EXODUS"the documentary.
Within the website you can see what we have been up to for the last 11 months
continuing at the forefront of the issue.

Please look over the website and read ALL of the pages. Learn about the "story behind the story".

The blog pages detail the accomplishments of the documentary team in Arizona, Utah, Texas and Kansas.
The Crew pages tell about who we are. Our editor is certainly "A find" and some of his previous
employers are aware of the project.

Website; www.exodusdocumentary.com

As of this date ALL of our funding (Approx. $30,000.00) has come from 1 donor, we are truly blessed
that this UCC couple is so passionate about Faith and Justice. Their generosity has let us move
along for the last year capturing history in the making.

We could use some assistance with publicity and additional fundraising.
[ If four people from every UCC church in the country would donate $20.00 we could
meet or exceed our total projected costs to film, edit, reproduce, and distribute the film..

Back by Popular Demand...

I had stopped posting, less by intention than by default: I just got so busy that before I even noticed, a couple weeks, a month, two months had gone by and I hadn't posted anything.

I thought I would try creating a Facebook page instead.

When too many of you started telling me you missed the blog, and that the Facebook page didn't do it for you, I got the hint.

So, the blog is back: periodic musings and postings about life, travels, and covenant partnerships in the Southwest Conference. Just so you know how broad the travel options can be, since last I posted I have been from Yuma (on a sunset drive during which the sky came alive!)...



to Angel Fire, where we installed Richard Safford as their new pastor and teacher...





There are a lot of miles between those two places, much beauty to encounter and many hours to ruminate.

In case you haven't heard me say it for a while: I love what I do, and where I do it.

Proof

Ok, so here I am in Long Beach, CA. I'm here for the week with my colleagues in Conference Ministry, leaders from the National setting, Conference Attorneys, seminary presidents and a few assorted others.

I attend the Installation of my good friend and brother in ministry, Felix Villanueva. He's being installed as the Conference Minister of the Southern California Nevada Conference.

I dress up. Really dress up. French cuff shirt with some killer cuff links Mimi found for me at the local antique store; nice tie (which I had to retie about 8 times before Kent Siladi said it could actually be worn in public); nice wingtip shoes; the Citizen's watch Mimi bought me a couple years back; a beautiful turquoise ring Mimi got me last Christmas from the Herd Museum; nice gray pin-stripe suit.

All of a sudden, I can't walk ten feet without one of my colleagues pulling out a camera, stopping me, and saying "You own a suit!" I have to take a picture - no one is going to believe this!"

Well, believe it. Here's the proof.



Like they say: He cleans up nicely - at least once a year.

Jarrett Maupin and Noel Anderson

Noel Anderson


Jarrett Maupin


The Southwest Conference is proud and pleased to announce that two outstanding young candidates for ministry came before us last week.

Jarret Maupin was licensed for ministry at First Congregational United Church of Christ in Phoenix.

Noel Anderson successfully completed his Ordination Exam before the Committee on Church and Ministry, which enthusiastically approved him for an Ecclesiastical Council. That Council will be hosted by the Church of the Good Shepherd in Sahuarita, AZ.

Both of these young men have true passions for and commitments to justice, and already a breadth of experience in both the church and community organizing.

We are truly proud of both of these young candidates for ministry, and wish them the best in what we hope will be long vocational careers in ministry.

10th Anniversary celebration

I had the distinct pleasure of helping the First Samoan Church celebrate their 10th anniversary.

The night was filled with singing, dancing, laughter, good food, good prayer, great fellowship, and immense joy. The pride these families showed as one by one they came forward to dance, and in the dancing not only reflect their cultural values but express their faith and their pride and their joy at what they have been and meant to each other of this past decade.

It was an honor to celebrate these moments with them. I hope the pictures I share help tell the story and express their pride and joy.