Letters to the Churches of Carbon County and Beyond - Sept 13 2009

It was a slow week getting started and by the time I hit Friday I was flying and next week I will really be flying because I will have managed to be in “sharing the same air” with four different churches. That is really getting out there. Sure I like the pace from time to time; however it is not one that I can keep up for long periods of time before I start losing my focus. Looking around the County it is looking like this – St. Thomas was a burial tour in which two funeral services were held and both of them with both similar and yet different; St. Paul had their Fall Café Bible reflection last week and now they will be doing extracurricular activities during the later half of September; I am looking forward to catching up with St. James in Encampment and starting the first of six sessions of Wade in the Water this up-coming Sunday; and St. Luke’s in Medicine Bow had their Bishop visit this Sunday and I am looking forward to hearing how that went. I hope this letter finds you well.

Don’t you like those three day weekends? It seems like on Tuesday we have to do 48 hours worth of work in 24. That was my Tuesday and yet I managed to reach most of my objectives for the day. It started with a planning session with Gerry O’Connell from St. Thomas in Rawlins. We gathered with Randy Golden who is local pastor of Cavalry Chapel in Rawlins who was a good friend of Doris Walden (Gerry’s mother-in-law) to plan Doris funeral. It was a joint effort and it when well. Then I jumped in my borrowed car and drove to LSRV to participate in St. Paul’s Fall Bible Café to realize upon my arrival that my time would have to be short because I had to drive over the mountain to meet with a preaching discernment group in Saratoga. In the middle of all that traveling I still managed to wrestle with insurance companies, send out notices about an up-coming vestry workshop, and inform Medicine Bow about their up-coming Bishop visit. See 48 hours worth of work being crammed into 24.

Wednesday I kept the momentum going. It started with the weekly web/phone meeting with the Ministry Developers in which we discussed two events that are coming up at the Convention, an opportunity to learn more about Latino Ministries, and yes general check in with one another. Made phone calls with fellow Ministry Developers and put together a couple of church services, wrote a couple of reports, and squeezed in a sermon. I did all before bed that night.

Thursday I spent two hours at Kraft Hall making phone calls throughout the county inviting others to the Apostolic Team face to face meeting that is coming up this Saturday. I wrote a second sermon and was all ready and prepared to head to Green Rive to continue with the next step with Wade in the Water when I receive a phone call telling me that most of the people in Green River are out and about and would not be around that evening. So we rescheduled for this upcoming Wednesday.

Friday was the first of two funeral services. Anna May Rassuseen was place in her final resting place in Rawlins. The gathered family had a time to bring close a chapter in their lives. It was also a good time to brush off the skills of hospitality at St. Thomas and learn what it means to have a deacon as a member of the worship leadership. The service went really well and the family had their chance to say their final good-byes. I still managed to attend the local high school football game that evening and so it was nice to have some time with the family.

Saturday was the second of two funerals in which the gathered family got to say good-by to Doris Mae Walden. Doris is the mother of Ellen O’Connell and Gerry’s mother-in-law. She spent her final days in the O’Connell’s home and so she was able to be surrounded by love ones till the end as she crossed over to another reality. Randy Golden preached and St. Thomas provided the wonderful liturgy for the family to find closure in that important chapter of their lives. Gerry was the leader of the Committal in Saratoga that afternoon and it seemed that everybody was pleased on how Gerry was able to bring together three different church families to celebrate the life of Doris and to recognize the gift of eternal life from God.

So Sunday was a continuation of all the resurrection celebrations that were taking place leading up that day. As St. Thomas continues to move forward in Shared Ministry we all are learning about what it means to have a deacon as a member of the worship team. As the worship leaders led the service I discovered a fine sing voice and it was a blessing.

This is what my up-coming week looks like – Monday the worship team of St. Thomas will meet to schedule the month of October services and discuss some recommendations from the Diocese on how to respond to the flu season. Tuesday I am heading to Baggs to co-host a Safeguarding God’s Children training and that starts at 5pm. Wednesday I will be participating in a web/phone meeting with the Ministry Developers at 8am and that evening I will be in Green River to help plan the next steps in Wade in the Water. Thursday I will be having office hours at Kraft Hall during that time Karen and I will have some check in time. Thursday evening will be attending a vestry meeting at St. Thomas in Rawlins. Friday is an all day event in Laramie in which I am working on a personal project and continuing to look for a permanent vehicle for work. Saturday is Region’s 4 Apostolic Team face to face meeting in which Kathy Robinson and Roy Walworth will be hosting an Evangelism Workshop. Right when you thought I was done for the week I will be presiding in two different churches starting at St. James in Encampment with Wade in the Water session 1 starting after the service. Then I will preside at St. Paul’s in Dixon that evening.

Be well my friends and have a great week!

Doug