Letters to the Churches of Carbon County and Beyond

March 29, 2010

Picture you will in your mind a conversation between Batman and Robin – Robin, “Holy Cow Batman, It is Holy Week for the Episcopal Church.” “Yes, Robin it is” replies Batman, “it is the week that the Episcopal Church enters a great drama through the liturgy which invites all who participates into the events that lead up to Easter. It will be a time of deep emotional feelings and excitement.” I hope this letter finds you well.

St. Luke’s (Medicine Bow): On Tuesday (March 23rd) Arlen and I had a phone conversation. It seems that spring time is a time that activities that have remained quiet and dormant come alive. Palm Sunday is a different kind of service and so we discussed the changes that will be needed and I was going to preach. On Sunday (March 28th) I arrived at St. Luke’s with my second child to encounter three more girls (one promptly asked if I was the new priest and where was Jess) and the Hanna folks. We marched inside the church (the wind was blowing a bit too hard for outside) and the three lovely girls sang a song. During the offertory a one year old brought up an empty wash tub as her offering plate. Oh, I wished I had a camera for that! Upon the conclusion of the service we read the Passion and stripped the altar. This was done because the next time St. Luke will host a service it will be the Easter Vigil.

St. James (Encampment): As I looked over my weekly plans and reviewed what I have done for the past week I realized that I have not checked in with St. James. Not all is lost (like the drama!) but I have this idea that perhaps St. James and St. Luke can share their experiences about building a parish hall. I understand that St. James is working hard on putting together plans and a grant request to begin building. Nevertheless, I am planning on contacting St. James to make sure that they have Easter covered (I am sure it is).

St. Paul’s (Dixon): Last Monday (March 22nd) I attended the Spring Bible Café bible reflection meeting as they continue to read the Psalms. As we were reading Linda located an advertisement that says that the Little Snake River Valley is one of the best kept secrets of Wyoming. I have to laugh when the thought was shared that people can come and visit, but to stay longer would not be openly encouraged. Mainly because this group of people like the life of the valley and would like to hang on to the spirit of family a bit longer! So, come visit and experience for a day or two the warmth and fellowship of the Little Snake River Valley.

St. Thomas (Rawlins): On Thursday (March 25th) I gathered with the reflection group with Karen to review what she has learned with Family System Theory. Karen shared what it means to be a part of a family unit in which looks at how groups react during times of stress. It is important for each member to find that balance between being a member of the group yet retain an individual identity (which is very hard to do). We also talked about how to plan weddings and use of the building for such events. On Sunday (March 28) evening Karen led a reconciliation service in which had about 10 people in attendance. It was a nice way to start the Holy Week.

Ministry Developers: Wednesday the Ministry Developers had their all day WebEx meeting. These meetings are broken into three sessions that last about hour and half. During these gatherings on-line we have sharing (professional and personal). This month we reviewed our ideas about the Apostolic Teams (there is an interest in continuing to develop them) and starting to work on transition for the arrival of John as the bishop. This meeting we also talked about the Wyoming Weekend which will be held from April 23rd through 25th in Riverton. We finish our meetings with a look at the calendar as we plan for the future.

What is coming up? Monday I am heading to Baggs for Baptismal preparation for this Easter. Yes, St. Paul’s in Dixon will be having a baptism on Easter this year. What a reason to be excited. Tuesday Andrew Kerr will be arriving in Rawlins to install the compress video equipment. Wednesday I will be on the weekly WebEx meeting with the Ministry Developers, hosting office hours at Kraft Hall (10am to 12pm). Thursday is the beginning of the series of liturgical events of Holy Week. I will be at St. Thomas for the Maundy Thursday Services that include a hand washing and stripping of the altar starting at 7pm. Friday I will be at St. Paul’s for Stations of the Cross and Good Friday Services and we will start at 5pm. Saturday I will start my day with a worship breakfast at St. Thomas (Rawlins) at 8:30 am. That afternoon I will head to St. Luke’s (Medicine Bow) for the Easter Vigil Services that start at 4pm. Sunday I will preside the Easter Day Services that will include a baptism at St. Paul’s (Dixon) starting at 10:30am.

Batman and Robin are right. It is going to be a full week of excitement for the Episcopal Church!

Letters to the Churches of Carbon County

Hello family and friends the Diocese of Wyoming awoke on Sunday morning with a bishop-elect John Smylie from St. Mark’s in Casper Wyoming. In the days to come there will be changes, some small, some large, and some that will take time for it be revealed. I pray that we continue to be gracious with one another and seek God’s guidance in the days to come. For the election results you can find them at this link: Search for 9th Bishop of Wyoming.I hope this letter finds you well.

St Paul’s (Dixon): Yesterday (Sunday) I presided at St. Paul’s in Dixon. I was able to visit briefly with Linda and Agnes (delegates) at the Election Convention in Laramie the day before. They were smart in their selection and they were seated toward the front of the church. It was a fun time worshiping. As we were exchanging the Peace a parishioner got my named confused with Jeff. So, with a twinkle in her eye she turned to Jeff and, “God’s Peace be with you Doug!” I laughed. As we were working through the announcements it was discovered that we didn’t have any soup prepared, but not to worry the “emergency soup” was brought out and all were fed. I heard conversation about how the church will “restock” the soup. Yup, a person would never go hungry at St. Paul’s. At the conclusion of the fellowship, Linda, Carolyn and I were talking how ways the church can connect with the 20-40 year olds of the Valley. We are bubbling around some ideas. This will be exciting to see how our work unfolds.

St. Luke’s (Medicine Bow): yesterday I read that Facebook is becoming so large it may be seen as a parallel to the internet in how it connects people. Some people only use Facebook to e-mail and communicate with their family and friends. Why do I mention this? Well I got an up-date on Facebook about St. Luke’s. Ida and Arlen informed me that two weeks ago St. Luke had a short worship event and then last week they went up to the church to give it a spring cleaning. Everything is getting prepared for Easter starting with Palm Sunday (coming up). Arlen and I spoke briefly at the election convention about who will be preaching and the like. I am enjoying the “hybrid” social networking between face to face and the internet.

St. James (Encampment): I was able to visit with Jim at the election convention and he informed me that when he left on Saturday morning it was 13 below zero in Riverside (a small town next to Encampment). He is in the middle of calving and told me that there is about six inches of snow on the ground that covers about six inches of mud. The arrival of mud tells me that Easter is right around the corner. I also had a chance to talk to Fred (his is gifted in keeping order) and we decided that he could have been called upon to straighten out the missing ballot during the 3^rd round of the election. (There was a missing ballot on the clergy side of the counting). It was good to see St. James represented at the election.

St. Thomas (Rawlins): Wednesday was my St. Thomas day. It started at 10am in which I hung out at Kraft Hall for a couple of hours. That evening they had their 4^th Session of Wade in the Water which includes a wrap up of what has been learned. Statements like, “Nothing was really discovered, but what we have been doing is reinforced.” And “The ownership of the ministries of St. Thomas has been increased for the past 5 or so years.” I like the idea that we all shared “works of comfort” in knowing what has been accomplished to date is significant and important work. Another important development is that St. Thomas is putting together a confirmation class of four people this year and they begin on March 24, 2010. Good work St. Thomas. When you get a chance check out this link: St. Thomas (Rawlins) it is up-dated all the time.

Up-Coming Events: This is a quick overview of my week. On Monday I will be heading to Linda’s house to participate in the bi-monthly bible reading. We will be picking up at Psalm 81 and continue to read and share our thoughts and impressions. That evening I will be on a WebEx meeting with the Regional Reps and Ministry Developers. Tuesday it will be more like an administrative day in that I will be making phone calls and writing a news letter article for St. Thomas. Wednesday is an all day WebEx meeting with the Ministry Developers. Thursday I will be sitting down with Karen (St. Thomas) as we continue to share what has been learned from her Family Systems Theory work. Friday is one of those days that I will tie up any lose ends that become apparent throughout the week. Sunday I will be presiding at St. Luke’s in Medicine Bow and then the church launches itself into Holy Week!

Letters to the Churches of Carbon County and Beyond

March 14, 2010

Hello everybody it is time to gather around the table to listen to the stories of the churches of Carbon County and see how they are woven into the larger story of Wyoming. This was one of those very busy weeks in that every day last week I was engaged in some church event, conversation, or meeting. However there seems to be relief on the horizon as we as a Diocese move very quickly to electing the next bishop of Wyoming. I hope this letter finds you well.

St. James (Encampment): Sunday (today) I was presiding at St. James in Encampment. Like the saying goes when two or more are gathered in Christ’s name God will be there when I walked in and saw a lovely couple sitting quietly waiting for me to arrive. They were expecting Jess Smith; however we are still working into a regular worship schedule. St. James will have Holy Eucharist every two weeks, but Jess and I will switch from time to time. They were quick to point out that they would keep me as well. Whew that is a relief. Last Wednesday (March 10, 2010) I had lunch with the other half of St. James leadership in Rawlins. We talked about the nominees and they shared their thoughts and they continue to discern. They also shared with me that they had a great Wade in the Water session last week and the sharing is open and engaging. The parish hall planning is currently on hold as they are waiting to hear back from a contractor for bids.

St. Thomas (Rawlins): Last Tuesday (March 9, 2010) I attended the third of four sessions of Wade in the Water (ok you can sing the song to yourself now) in which we open up our time by reviewing the word “authority”. My contribution was way too much (like getting a glass of water from a fire hydrant). The simple description was something like – a power to influence or command thought, opinion, or behavior; and or a convincing force. And we talked briefly about “religious” the study and a following of God. Then we launched into the session. I realized that St. Thomas has come a long way with a shared understanding of who they are as a church and it has moved from an institution to more a people. Not bad. Thursday (March 11, 2010) I met with the Ministry Support Team for about an hour. During our time together we starting a different of setting the agenda in which we bring all the items for discussion and then decide which ones we want to talk about first and move down the list. We also talked about formation for a confirmation class of four people this year. I stayed for the vestry meeting and was on hand to answer questions about Wyoming Wilderness Camp and the compress video equipment.

St. Paul’s (Dixon): Last Monday (March 8, 2010) I was in the “valley” for the spring bible café event. This group continues to read the bible one book at a time, chapter to chapter. We are working through the book of Psalms and we read each one out loud and from different versions of the bible. Then we all share our thoughts and impressions on what was read. The pattern is becoming clear in which there is a lament and then praise. Linda Fleming said that she things the Revised Common Lectionary selects the psalms and highlights the laments and the praise. I think she is one to something.

St. Luke’s (Medicine Bow): I don’t have much to report this week. I need to catch up with those folks sometime this week to see how they are doing. Jess was out of town this week and so this Sunday they had Morning Prayer with Arlen leading the service.

Ministry Development: On Saturday I went to Casper for two events. The first one was to meet with Evangelism team and we continue to practice on how to reflect and identify ways to see God in everyday actions in our lives. Then I headed over to St. Stephens for a double ordination of Kay and Tristen. You can find some great pictures at this web-site: St Stephens Casper Ordination and yes there are a couple of pictures of me in there as well!

What is coming up this week? Monday and Tuesday I am sticky close to home and getting some administrative tasks complete. Wednesday I will be on the weekly web/phone check in call at 8am with the Ministry Developers and be found at Kraft Hall from 10am to 12pm. That evening I will be attending the 4th Session of Wade in the Water at St. Thomas that starts at 5:30pm. Thursday I will be taking the day off. Friday I will be heading to Laramie early and then register for the election of the next bishop of Wyoming. Saturday is the big day for the Diocese of Wyoming and may our lives be forever changed! Sunday I will be presiding at St. Paul’s (Dixon) @ 10:30am.

Letters to the Churches of Carbon County and Beyond

March 8, 2010

Hello everybody, it is time to gather around the family table to share what has taken place for the past week and to check in about the coming week. Lately it has been clear that having the election of the next bishop of Wyoming after the walkabout event is a smart move. If we wait much longer the waiting would be too much for us. We are a people who like to get moving quickly and are prepared to take the next step into the future. I hope this letter (and now posting on a blog) finds you well.

St. Thomas (Rawlins): Last Tuesday (March 2) Pat Walsh arrived in Rawlins and together we went to make a presentation at the Boys and Girls Club of Rawlins. The presentation was about the up-coming Wyoming Wilderness Camp programming year and we wanted to share with others this wonderful resource that we are blessed to have here in Wyoming. Wednesday I attended Session 2 of Wade in the Water (I was also tapped to provide the soup). During our time together we began to explore the word authority and what does that mean in the context of Baptism. This group is not short on ideas and passions about this subject (I appreciate the energy). Yesterday I presided with those who gathered in St. Thomas church. The Sunday school lesson was about the fig tree and my daughter shared with me that she now has a plant that will bloom soon. Hah, the beauty of youth.

St. Thomas also now has a web-site www.doubtingstthomas.com it is a work in progress but I admire the effort that is being put forth to connect others beyond the building!

St. Paul (Dixon): When it comes to the Little Snake River Valley aka LSRV I have been working on meeting with different people in the area. I have tentatively scheduled a meeting for next week. Last Thursday (March 4) the Apostolic Team met on-line and Linda led the discussion. We debriefed from the walkabout and shared among ourselves our thoughts and impressions of the nominees. The purpose is not to change minds but to share what is on our minds. Linda did a superb job in keeping us on task and watched the clock. Yesterday I was presiding at St. Paul’s. As the service was about to begin it looked like there was going to be a small group, yet as we moved toward starting people started to trickle in. The touching moment was having a small boy come to the “rail” during the post communion prayer looking for more bread. He was hungry! We gathered in the parish hall (the young family got home to feed their family) and celebrated a couple of birthdays and enjoyed some soup. It was a good time as other children ran about and drank hot chocolate.

St. Luke (Medicine Bow): This is their off week in which the members of this church join with the Methodist. I received more information about what took place a couple of weeks ago with the larger gathering. As it turns out there is a group of younger singers who are “touring” around the town and singing in different churches. What a gift it is for the Episcopal Church to be available for others to share their singing ability with others. This is also another opportunity for others to gain valuable experience of being in the public arena. All seems to be well, although there seems to be a couple of snags in the opening of the preschool in Medicine Bow. Continued prayers for support are welcomed as we all move toward spring.

St. James (Encampment): On Thursday Fred and Vonnie joined the Apostolic Team WebEx meeting and provided valuable information about the walkabout. Fred took great notes and shared them with the group. It is encouraging to see these smaller churches being so involved in this process. We are uncovering or rediscovering effective leadership found in both large and small churches throughout the state!

Bishop Election Process: We are quickly moving toward the election date (12 days away) and more information is coming out. I received an e-mail from Pamela RW Kandt (communications team) saying that soon there will be videos of the walkabout in 10 minute segments for people to review on youtube at this location http://www.youtube.com/user/WyomingDiocese and the blog will also be up-dated soon. I encourage everybody to share your thoughts about the up-coming election and be mindful of listening to what is being said. I believe that participation is important and outcomes are up to God.

What is coming up this week? Today (Monday) I am working on some administrative tasks and will be traveling to LSRV for the bi-monthly Spring Bible Café (yes Spring!) as we continue to read the Psalms. Tuesday St. Thomas will have their 3^rd Session in Wade in the Water @ 5:30pm. Wednesday the Ministry Developers will have their weekly check in on WebEx @ 8am; office hours at Kraft Hall – 10am to 12pm; lunch with the leadership of St. James starting around noon. Thursday I will be meeting with the Ministry Support Team of St. Thomas and if I am needed I will attend the vestry meeting, everything starts at 5:30pm. Friday I will be heading to Casper to meet with my peers and on Saturday I will participate in an Evangelism face to face meeting followed by an ordination service at St. Stephens. Sunday will be in Encampment (St. James) that will be followed by the 3^rd Session of Wade in the Water. Ok folks it is time to get out into the field and do our work! Have a great week.

Letter to the Churches of Carbon County

Hello good folks of Carbon County. These two past weeks have been full of activity (both in my personal and professional life). I extended a moment of grace last week when I “looked up” and realized by the time I was able to get a computer and write a weekly up-date it was about Wednesday. So I focused my energy in meeting with the nominees for the next Bishop of Wyoming and other various needs. What I have come to realized that the election process takes emotional, physical, and mental energy and in the spirit of Lent I face my own human limitations. All shall be well and I trust that together and with God’s help our future will become clearer. I hope this letter finds you well.

St. Luke (Medicine Bow): I don’t much to report except I did receive news (through facebook) that last Sunday (Feb 28) that there was 15 people in attendance. The average attendance has been around about 6 people including the presider. I am not 100% sure what has changed, but I have a sense that the power of invitation has something to do with it. During the annual meeting it was decided that times of services would be made public in the surrounding towns including Medicine Bow. The idea that regular services continued to be held demonstrates the spirit of Wyoming in that adversity will be trumped by the patience will to continue to gather in God’s name. The leadership of that congregation is finding their strength.

I heard that the bus that is taking the nominees throughout the state drove through the town of Medicine Bow on their way to Rawlins last Thursday. I-80 was up to its normal behavior in the month of February (moments of clear roads and sky followed by limited visibility and ice). I think this turned out to be a good opportunity for the nominees to see the diversity of this great state.

St. James (Encampment): This too is a fun group who has found energy. I was presiding there last Sunday (Feb 28) and we talked about the walkabout and other current projects (mostly planning on building a parish hall that will include handicap access for the church as well as a bathroom). After the service we all drove over to the Johnson’s house to begin Wade in the Water which is a four session program about Baptismal Ministry. The diocese of Wyoming uses the title Shared Ministry, nevertheless the purpose of this is to increase the awareness that ministry is shared among all the people of the Church through their baptism in to the Body of Christ. They were so energized by the presentation that they are going to host a session on their own in which everybody will be responsible for a piece of the presentation (worship leader, session leader, and hospitality). Great stuff.

One of the parishioners of St. James (Encampment) noted that the election of bishops has been primarily done by vestries and that they lived with who was chosen. This election process the laity of Encampment has met with the nominees (or will by the time the walkabout reaches its conclusion) three different times in three different locations. The involvement of the smaller churches of Region 4 is encouraging.

St. Thomas (Rawlins): They have also started Wade in the Water as their Lenten study. The first session was last Tuesday I have heard reports that 10 people were in attendance. After spending much time in their formation process and preparing for the ordination of a local priest, it is encouraging to see that the people are wanting to work on some more education and formation work around a shared understanding of baptismal ministry. Sure sounds like Lent to me!

The nominees had a “coffee hour” event scheduled for the walkabout. They arrived on Thursday in Rawlins in the midst of a spring snow storm (rather mild compared to back East) and got a tour of the church. Members of Encampment, Green River, Rawlins, and Saratoga were all present and had a chance to talk to nominees to get to know them in an informal setting. The transition team (who are given an difficult task) managed to herd the group onto the bus in time to make it to St. Paul’s (Dixon) for their lunch appointment.

St. Paul (Dixon): A couple of weeks ago I attended two events back to back. The first event was the traditional Strove Tuesday dinner in which is a community event for the Little Snake River Valley. For two hours people from the community drop in to eat eggs, pancakes, and sausage. The people in attendance range from children to their grand-parents. The next day I arrived to participate in the Ash Wednesday service. It has been a couple of years since I was in St. Paul’s for this service.

There was some discussion about the possibility that the nominees will have to take a pass on attending lunch during the walkabout. I was bold in my prediction (yet within my mind was a bit uncertain) that all will work out and that St. Paul would be one of the stops that would be made. It came to pass and the fine people of Little Snake River Valley hosted a fine meal and go to show off their outreach ministry called ARK (Amazing River Kids).


Bishop Walkabout: Here are some of my observations of the process to date. During periods of major transitions emotions, feelings, memories, and thoughts that have remained dormant are awakened. Some of these emotions, feelings, memories, and thoughts are comforting as well as troubling. This being said I believe it means that we are human beings who care deeply and passionately about our church and God. I have found myself in a period of discernment and asking questions that upset my own perspective of the world. This is not a bad thing and I see this as another aspect of God’s revealing nature to the church and the world. I trust that God has been invited into this journey and that together we will come to know what God is calling Wyoming to and be.

It is fitting that this walkabout and election should be held during the Lenten season. I find myself taking the approach that I show-up with my “lunch pail” and report to work with God directing my efforts. As I let go of outcomes and yield my own will to God’s I have encountered a spirit of grief and lost, yet I am comforted in the knowledge that there is a resurrection event that is included in the narrative. I have discovered that the relationships that have been forged in the past have a hidden and deep strength that can carry us all and I am thankful to be a participant in this process. May God continue to bless us all on this journey of discovery.

Ok, what is on deck for this week? Today (Tuesday) I will be meeting with Pat Walsh as we talk to the Boys and Girls Club of Rawlins about Wyoming Wilderness Camp. Wednesday is the weekly check in call on WebEx with the Ministry Developers, office hours at Kraft Hall and Wade in the Water – Session 2 @ St. Thomas starting at 5:30pm Thursday I will be heading to Laramie to work on my personal project and that evening I will be hosting a WebEx meeting (and it is also a conference call for those who want to use their phone) to debrief the walkabout. Friday is one of those administrative days and Sunday I will presiding at two services starting at St. Thomas in Rawlins and finishing at St. Paul’s in Dixon.