A Full Day in Tucson

On a warm summer day, I jumped in the car early to beat the traffic out of Phoenix (no luck, even at 6:30am it was heavy) and headed south to Tucson.

I was able to spend a little time with Virginia Bergfahl, who is recovering from back surgery and will use the coming days for some serious rehab. We continue to lift her up in prayer.

From there I went and spent an enjoyable morning and lunch with Lee Milligan, pastor at Church of the Painted Hills. You can see from the picture what a gorgeous setting they have for their church. Lee has a great spirit about him, and I enjoyed very much our conversation together. I look forward to being in worship with him and the friends and members of Painted Hills - he tells me their choir is among the best, and their choir director is the reason for that.

I left there to meet Randy Mayer, pastor at church of the Good Shepherd in Sahaurita, at the Epic Cafe in Tucson. That has become my new favorite spot in Tucson - a little cafe/bistro where one can spend a few lazy hours drinking the caffeinated beverage of choice, reading a good book, logging on to the interent, or - as Randy and I would do - engage in conversation. We talked about the work, the vision, and the purpose of our Growth and Development Committee, which Randy chairs. We talked about Border Ministry and restructuring the denomination. We talked about the Church of the Good Shepherd, of which he is clearly very proud.

I finished the day having dinner with Mark and Stacey Clark - who have really gone the extra mile to welcome Mimi and me. Mark, you will recall, was the chair of the Search Committee. Were it not for his suave and sophisticated manner, his effervessence and charm - I am sure our transition here would have been a bit more difficult. (Ok, you all know him much better than I - you know I'm laying it on a little thick here.)

I drove home after dinner, and spent the rest of the evening with my son, who had just arrived in Phoenix just about the time I hit the Tucson city limits. We two are flying to New York for a couple of days this weekend just to see the Yankees play at home before they tear Yankee Stadium down. Tune in later this week for pics and details. I will fly from New York to New Orleans to meet with selected leaders from across the denomination to brainstorm a new direction for the Still Speaking campaign. I will also report to you about that trip.

Scottsdale Congregational UCC

I found myself at Scottsdale Congregational United Church of Christ this Sunday, and enjoyed it very much.

My week with them actually began on Wednesday, when I met with the worship planning team to put together the second service. Its called the Studio, and is built around the concepts and themes of the Emerging Church model. Just spending that time with a group of creative, energetic, and imaginative people was a rich experience.

There were two services on Sunday, both of which were moving in their own right, and in their own way. One of the things that the Scottsdale church obviously takes very seriously is their music program. The accompanist in the first service was as talented as I have heard anywhere; and the Jazz ensemble that led worship in the Studio service excelled. Sandy Chapman, the vocalist, even wrote a stunning piece of music she debuted in the service after hearing on Wednesday what the theme would be. I was very moved by her creative abilities.

Pictured here are Hannah and Shirley. They enacted a dramatic dialogue between Satan and Jesus that I wrote based on the temptation of Jesus following his baptism.

I will be back with the Scottsdale church this Monday evening to meet with their Interim Transition Committee as they seek to make plans for the church following the departure of Pastor Eric Elnes. Rev. Katherine Harts continues to provide outstanding leadership at the church, and was lifted up in prayer Sunday morning. Katherine presided at her mother's memorial service on Friday and was unable to be with Sunday. We will all be lifting her up in prayer in the coming days.

So, I offer a heartfelt thanks to all my new friends in Scottsdale - and especially to Donna and Ray Gentry and family who treated Mimi and me to lunch afterward the services. I came home exhausted, but uplifted after such a stirring morning.

Meet a Hall of Famer

I met Richard Mitchell on my first trip to Albuquerque. I knew immediately we would get along well. A man of stature who comports himself with dignity, grace, and pride I found myself wanting to get to know him just a little better. And when I found out he loved baseball, well....

It would turn out that the weekend I was visiting, he would be directing a women's fast-pitch softball tournament. I would beg later in the weekend to have my schedule amended to go and watch some of the competition before my plane took off. I'm glad I did. It gave me a couple of hours more to sit and visit with Richard.

Lou and I (another member of Church of the Good Shepherd in Albuquerque) would spend a good part of the afternoon talking baseball with Richard. I can't think of a better way to wile away the time. We told stories of heroes long gone; of memories that linger; of moments that shape childhoods; of men that inspire. It was a delight.

But it was in that conversation that I discovered something else that Richard and I share in common: we both officiated college baseball. Well, I did a little - a hobby for a local church pastor who wanted more time and more life in order to give more to a pasttime he loved. But Richard really did officiate college baseball - at the highest levels.

By the time we finished that conversation, I stood in awe of the man. He did things I only dreamt of, and did them well. I had the strong sense that I was not the only one who recognized how distinguished his own career in this field was, and it turns out I was not.

Last month Richard was elected into the New Mexico Officials Association Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame: hat's quite an honor, and comes only after a lifetime of commitment and excellence. That places him at the pinnacle among his peers.

We are honored to know him, and to make good use of his love for his church and the service that from that comes.

I have asked Richard to put his services to use for us, and to organize a softball game at our Annual Meeting in April between the youth and the clergy of the Conference. Guess who I'm going to ask to umpire that game?