October 4, 2009
Hello folks of the Diocese of Wyoming and a Wyoming hello to those who receive this letter from beyond the boarders of this great state. The Diocesan Convention is in the books. It was a good one. The Diocese had made a major and important commitment to the youth of this state by working intentionally by asking the Diocesan Counsel and the Foundation to support the Wyoming Wilderness Camp in making the plant safe for all kids and staff members. This in my humble opinion was a movement from talk to action. Hats off to this group! On to other important matters, we blessed Bishop Bruce Caldwell wonderful leadership for the past 12 years and we now begin to look toward the next bishop. Bruce will be around, but he will also be missed. I hope this letter finds you well.
Monday was doing pretty good in following my plan for the week. I was able to meet with Andy and Margaret to work on interview questions and briefly discussed when we would present the answers. Then that afternoon I headed out to meet with Linda in Baggs to discuss the case study presentation for the Mustard Seed Money’s. As I worked through the day I was working with our optometric doctor in Cheyenne about Alexis’ eyes. Alexis complained that she lost sight in her left eye (that really got her parents concerned). As it turned out the eye is fine, but it will need to corrected (Alexis has a lazy eye) by surgery and so we scheduled to see the surgeon in Denver for Wednesday. I was not really sure if I would have to remain in Denver for a procedure on Thursday morning or not. As it turned out everything is ok and we now have a plan to address the eye and all is well. Whew! Nevertheless that took up all of the first part the week.
Thursday was the opening night of Convention. We had the privilege of having the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church as the keynote speaker and presided at the opening Eucharist. I was pretty tired and headed to bed promptly after that event. The next day we listed to the Presiding Bishop and she is a non-anxious presence (I almost fell asleep she was so calm) and was very astute in addressing questions directly and calmly. That evening we had a banquet and acknowledged all the work that was done through the Mustard Seed projects with the hope that they will continue.Saturday was a business day. I will not report much on what was done, but highlight a couple of things about the sessions. Wyoming Wilderness Camp is facing some serious and large challenges to keep operating. To address the challenges it would require a significant contribution of money. Money always gets people’s anxiety going and so the conversations about what to do were tense. At one point a person stood up and mentioned a dollar amount that clearly got others upset, yet Bruce addressed the speaker gracefully and told others that everybody has permission to speak and to be heard. He was a calming presence and was able to lead us all through the conversation. Also I noted that the conversation included many different groups of people ranging from the delegates, rectors, local priests, and laity. Everybody truly had a voice in the conversation. Also I noted that the leadership of the Diocese had a “can do” attitude in addressing making sure that the canons were being followed. We had to make some slight adjustments on how we conducted our business to make sure that we followed the process without making the overall process cumbersome and de-motivating (not an easy task!). The blessing and acknowledgement of Bruce’s leadership as our bishop was a touching event. Having people sing, share stories, and present gifts was a wonderful to end our day together.
Sunday worship was moving for me. The reading of the Psalm overwhelmed my soul and I long for more of that experience. The Psalm was read with passion; the music in the background added a rich dimension to the message as I was caught up in the warmth of the words and images that were painted in my soul. It was stunning and awesome.
Ok now to come back to earth and to look at what is on my horizon for the up-coming week. Monday I will be begin my day with Gospel Reflection at St. Thomas at 9am and then head to Little Snake River Valley (LSRV) for another bible reflection activity. Tuesday I will be heading to Saratoga for a preaching discernment meeting starting at 4pm. Wednesday I will be on a weekly web/phone meeting with the Ministry Developers. Thursday will be a day to catch up on administrative items to and work on reading a book that the Ministry Developers are reading together. Friday I will be in Laramie to meet with a friend to discover some that person’s passion for ministry. Saturday will be a family day was the Wasingers of Wyoming will be attending their annual Wyoming Football game. Sunday I will be presiding at St. Thomas in Rawlins and the service begins at 9:30am with a meal following the service.
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