Letters to the Churches of Carbon County and Beyond

April 19, 2010

Hello everybody. It is another beautiful week in Carbon County. This past week I stayed a bit closer to Rawlins. One of the few extra ministry activities that I participate in as a way to give back to the local community is being a chaplain for the Police Department. As it turns out this was a good week to be “on call” due to my travel commitments were a bit lighter. The girls are in Wheatland this week (Spring Break) and so Kellie and I are enjoying (I think) a bit a quiet. It was a technology connecting week as we use WebEx and now video compression technology to connect throughout the state. I hope this letter finds you well.

St. Thomas (Rawlins): Last Monday (April 12^th) I started my day by meeting with Kathleen at Kraft Hall to review the upcoming gospel reading. It was an informative time as we read out loud the gospel and reflect on what we heard. The nets didn’t break really jumped out at me this time around as I pondered how God’s relationship with the Church does not break. Sure there seems to be times in which the relationship will be stretched, but it is never broken. Talking about Kraft Hall I spend about an hour and half there on Wednesday. During my time there I was able to post my dates for the coming week, and input a couple of announcements for Sunday. Thursday and Friday I was at the church testing the compressed video unit to make sure I could connect with ease and trouble shoot any problems as they may have come up. Like any first run activities there were a couple of glitches and they were resolved. Sunday I arrived at St. Thomas to preside. The music was really good the worship was good. The church looks really bright. That afternoon Shane and I worked together getting “Liturgy and Architecture” broadcast ready to go. In my mind it was a success! I am looking forward to many more of these kinds of events.

St. Paul (Dixon): Yesterday I drove to Dixon for the 5pm service. When I arrived there were only four people as we got prepared and sat down for a moment of silences and getting ready to go. Then one person came in followed by another family and then another family arrived and we had normal attendance. That was really neat. As the people gathered to receive communion a boy of about the age of 3 befriended George Salisbury and went forward to receive the communion with his parents on the other end of the rail. Ah, the feel of family.

St. James (Encampment): Last Wednesday I met with the leadership of that church who live in Rawlins for lunch. As we caught up with what took place over Easter and like. We all laughed when I told them about my time in Encampment a couple of Sundays ago and then we moved on to the parish hall plans. At first it seemed like the project was not moving forward, yet the more we talked energy began to develop. It was decided that they will continue to put a plan together and to move forward in this vision. Then we moved on to talking about finishing up Wade in the Water.

St. Luke (Medicine Bow): Well I received news about St. Luke’s after this posting was sent and it was encouraging. A couple of Sunday’s ago one of the regulars (she considers herself a Methodist but is quite comfortable worshiping with Episcopalians) has a group of kids who like to sing. So, they are making the rounds in the churches and they arrived at St. Luke’s. With kids come parents and the like and so they had a full church! Great news.

Ministry Developers: Last Tuesday (April 13) there was a WebEx meeting with Latino/Hispanic Ministries. During our time together we learned more about the demographics and current approaches to this ministry. Jackson Hole was on the call and they are working hard in establishing an outreach into this very segment of our population. They have two programs – Breaking Cultural Barriers and Bilingual Summer Youth Program and more information about that could be found at this link. Wednesday was my WebEx day in which it started with the weekly WebEx meeting with the Ministry Developers. We talked about Wyoming Weekend and putting on the final touches of that event, planned the Regional Rep and Ministry Developers meeting which is today at 5:30pm, and finally we talked about agenda items for our face to face meeting next week. That evening I was another WebEx meeting with the Evangelism Team was continue to practice our ability to think theologically and connect with our stories with others beyond the church.

What is coming up? Monday I have a WebEx meeting with the Regional Reps and Ministry Developers at 5:30pm. Tuesday will be a personal office day in which I will begin writing a sermon for St. Luke, continue to work on a stewardship/value presentation and other various little projects. Wednesday there is a WebEx meeting with the Ministry Developers @ 8am, office hours at Kraft Hall in Rawlins (10:30 am to 12pm), and another WebEx Meeting with the Wyoming Wilderness Camp as they move toward the summer season. Thursday Kellie, Alexis and I will be heading to Littleton Colorado to meet with a specialist on Dyslexia for an all day event. Friday is one of those days that I will catch up on any loose ends from the week. Saturday I will be participating in a Taekwondo tournament (a personal goal of mine) in Green River. Sunday I will be at St. Luke’s for a service and following the service we will begin to plan our summer months.

Letters to the Churches of Carbon County and Beyond

April 11, 2010

Oh where did the time go? A week of Easter season is now under our belt and there is much more to come. It is starting to feel like spring out there, with the kids getting restless and wanting to spend more time the outdoors, and yes I am too getting a bit restless for the coming summer months. Linda Wilson (Ministry Developer for Region 5 and supporting in Region 6) and I both in agreement, for the coming month and half our goal is to get our lives situated in such a way that we can enjoy a summer of playing and relaxing. Ah, the Easter spirit lifts a heavy heart! I hope this letter finds you well.

St. James (Encampment): I called and talked to Roxan during the week and found out that she is traveling more than I do for the past couple of weeks. She told me that she was up north for part of the week. When I caught up with her she was heading back to Encampment, “I traded a lame horse for my grand-kids. I think I got the bad end of the deal.” Well she encouraged me to call Lois to talk about doing a Wade in the Water Session, but the week got away from me. When I arrived with Olivia this Sunday it was only the two of us. So, we walked around the block and realized that I miss-communicated about going to St. James. As we headed home I drove around Encampment to see what was taking place. As it turns out they are working on the roads and they are muddy! My car almost got stuck! However, some fancy driving I broke out of the mud got back on dry ground and stayed on the pavement!

St. Thomas (Rawlins): On Wednesday I spend a couple of hours at Kraft Hall. There I located and made copies of Ministry Role Descriptions in preparation for the Ministry Support Team Meeting on Thursday evening. While I was at it I wrote a quick report for the vestry and reviewed my dates for the coming week. On Thursday I sat down with the MST and we spend most of our time reviewing customaries for weddings. There needed to make some changes and then make present them to the vestry for their approval. We also talked about starting a Wednesday morning prayer service and to continue with “Traces of Glory” for Prayers of the People. We had some other items to discuss but that will be saved for another time. An encouraging development is that there is becoming more interest in Wyoming Wilderness Camp this year and they may be sending a camper.

St. Paul’s (Dixon): Last Monday I drove to the valley for the Spring Bible Café event. We have been reading the psalms and reflecting on what we hear and think. When I arrived I discovered they have brand new tables for the parish hall. The section of Psalms we read was about praise, protection, and rejoicing. Hum … it seems appropriate for the season. The travel was nice and the valley is starting to shift into spring time mode which is fine by me!

St. Luke’s (Medicine Bow): They are doing pretty good in Medicine Bow. Arlen is looking at an aging roof and so he had somebody come by and give a bid on it. The suggested roof will last longer than I would live and it could take that long to pay for it! Not really, but the sticker price was a bit high. Not to worry Arlen has some other leads. Soon we will start planning on some summer events and invite people from all around the region to attend.

Ministry Developers: Last Wednesday I met with Andrew Kerr was we worked on getting prepared for the Latino/Hispanic WebEx meeting for this coming week. On Friday I headed to Casper to meeting with Margaret Babcock and Linda Wilson as we reviewed my goals for congregations and Diocesan level work. We have a full plate but nothing I cannot handle. Yes, I did manage to take a day off from the Church and really enjoyed it.

What is on deck? Well starting on Monday I will be heading to St. Thomas (Rawlins) for the Gospel Reflection meeting for some sermon prep. I will also be sending out WebEx invitations for the Evangelisms and the Ministry Developer’s weekly meeting. Tuesday I am planning on catching up with a member of St. Paul’s for a getting to know one another better meeting. That evening will be the Latino/Hispanic WebEx meeting starting at 5:30pm. Wednesday I will start my day with a WebEx meeting with the Ministry Developers, head over to Kraft Hall for a couple of hours, meet with the leadership of St. James for lunch and finish my day with an Evangelism WebEx meeting at 7pm. Thursday I will test the compress video equipment and get ready for a presentation about liturgy and architecture on Sunday (a live feed from Thomas the Apostle Center). Friday I will get caught up on wedding plans. That sounds like summer is right around the corner! Sunday I will be found in two churches starting at St. Thomas (Rawlins) @ 9am, then open the video conference event @ 2pm, then head to St. Paul’s (Dixon) for an evening service that starts at 5pm.

Hey can somebody put Jesus back in the tomb? It is sure busy around here with the news that he is risen!

Letters to the Churches of Carbon County and Beyond

I hope the promise and discovery of the empty tomb does not turn out to be an April fool’s joke! Easter has arrived early this year but I am glad it is here. The Holy Week Events did its work as Thursday I began to get restless, Friday I was grumpy, by Saturday Evening I was hopeful and by Sunday I was excited about the possibilities of a fresh start. This Easter Sunday was the most relaxing since my arrival in Carbon County in 2003 because there are three priests serving at different levels (one associated priest, a local priest, and a Ministry Developer) and four congregations who are “partnered” with the Bishop’s Office. Everybody was taken care of and I didn’t have to run all around Carbon County. A couple of years ago I received a ticket trying to make up time, but this year I took my time! I hope this letter finds you well.

St. Paul’s (Dixon): I made three different trips to the Little Snake River Valley (aka LSRV) last week. The first trip I made was last Monday to meet with the mother of Aurora Elizabeth Jackson whom we baptized on Easter! Linda Fleming and I met with Ashley (the mother) to talk about baptism and discovered that Ashley has been a lifelong Episcopalian in Wyoming who traveled along the I-80 corridor. Friday I returned to the LSRV for Stations of the Cross and Good Friday Services. After the service Linda noticed that I need to make some additions to the Baptismal Certificate which I did. Sunday I awoke, noticed the usual spring snow storm got an early start and arrived at St. Paul’s in good time. I shared with the congregation that I think Mother Nature is getting a bit carried away with the Easter season colors with all the white on the ground! It was a good service and before I returned to Rawlins I stopped by and visited with a long time member of St. Paul’s for a Eucharistic Visit.

St. Thomas (Rawlins): Tuesday I caught up with Andrew Kerr the Director of Communications of the Diocese of Wyoming to install the video compression equipment at St. Thomas. Don (the junior warden) joined us as we put together the equipment and did a quick test run. You can check out these pictures to see what we did. On Maundy Thursday I presided at St. Thomas. When I arrived it was like a bit of a home coming with the O’Connell’s had returned from points south. It was nice to see familiar faces. As we stripped the altar I left the church with an empty feeling in my heart. On Saturday I returned to St. Thomas to join the monthly worship breakfast in which we talked about planning services for the up-coming month of May. St. Thomas will be looking at engaging some continuing formation this fall.

St. Luke’s (Medicine Bow): I arrived just in time for the Easter Vigil Services on Saturday in Medicine Bow. Kellie and the girls had decided to go to Wheatland this year for Easter and so the Wasingers decided to have a small celebration as a family before we headed in different directions. Everybody seemed to be in good spirits and I found my spirit being lifted as I heard the stories of creation and restoration being told. I have found this service to be moving and this year the story about the dry bones spoke to me. I pray for a spirit of renewal and excitement for the church for years to come.

St. James (Encampment): I attempted to contact Roxan last week and left a message, but the week got away from me. I don’t have much to report another than Jess Smith reported that they had a good Palm Sunday Service and he was looking forward to celebrating Easter with them this year. I am looking forward to catching up with the fine folks of St. James this coming Sunday.

Ministry Developers: We met on-line using WebEx for our weekly check in. This week we reviewed the plans for Wyoming Weekend (April 23^rd through 25^th) that will be held in the Riverton area this year. Also we continue to look at Latino Ministry opportunities which are rich in Carbon County due to the demographical information that we have on hand. There will be a practice WebEx meeting on April 7^th with a more informative WebEx meeting on April 13, 2010.

What is coming up? Tuesday I will be writing my sermon and sticking close to the home office. I will make phone calls; write e-mails and other administrative tasks. Wednesday is a full day that starts with the weekly WebEx meeting with the Ministry Developers and then I will head to Kraft Hall for a couple of hours. While I am at Kraft Hall I will put together my Ministry Developer’s report for St. Thomas’ vestry and get with Stephanie about next week dates. St. Thomas will begin their confirmation class (I will not be needed for this and that is great news!). That evening I will be on a WebEx meeting to practice Moodle using WebEx and the like for the Latino Ministry. Thursday I will be gathering with the Ministry Support Team of St. Thomas (Rawlins) @ 5:30pm. Friday I will be heading to Casper to meet with Linda Wilson along with Margaret Babcock to review some common goals that Linda and I will be working on together for the coming months. Saturday will be my unofficial day off!

Welcome to the season of Easter! May it be full of unexpected surprised as you meet the resurrected Christ.