Letters to the Churches of Carbon County and Beyond

May 24, 2010

Pentecost! It is the birthday of the church. It is also an important event that reminds the church that we now represent and are the change agents in the world. This is done with the prompting of the Holy Spirit which the direction is often elusive. I say this because in all my efforts to nail life down has, in most cases, changed. Summer is approaching and I am confident and at peace with the arrival of this church and yearly seasonal transition from one state of being to another. Yesterday I was once again reminded the gift of smaller churches. That gift is consistency and unwavering faith. As I arrived in Medicine Bow I was certain that I would not be alone. I also like the blend of formality and informality of such gatherings. For me it is quiet refreshing to meet with people and to gather around a common faith and event. I hope that feeling and thoughts never get old. I hope this letter finds you well.

St. Luke (Medicine Bow): Yesterday was one of those beautiful days of Wyoming when I arrived in Medicine Bow. Arlen and I have spoken a couple of weeks ago and given all that was taking place in his life we decided that I was going to preach and he was going to put together the service and lead where he can. I asked him how he was holding up with all his travels and he said, “It is not the drive there, but the trip back that makes it long.” Well said! As we began the service, a long time member of the church had returned from being gone for most of the winter. In some ways Sunday had a family reunion feel as we caught up on upcoming plans for the summer and got an up-date on the pre-school status. The pre-school is the Mustard Seed Project for this church and right now they (the leadership that is leading this effort that includes other members of the local community) are working on applying for a 501 (c) 3 status to move forward and be able to receive monies to continue their operation. This group is still determined to see this through in-spite of setbacks and obstacles that are encountered from time to time.

St. Paul’s (Dixon): Last Monday I drove to the Weber Ranch for the bi-monthly Spring Bible Café. This group is about wrapped up with the Psalms. One other major exciting event was that I got to tour a brand new house that was built recently by the local talent. It was a good looking house. I like the open space (perhaps that is why I love Wyoming so much) and the warmth of the floor plan. As I read the Psalms I was laughing to myself as I thought about this – the Psalmist loves God’s Law, do I love our local, county, state and national laws? That put things in a different perspective. During our time together I brought up the idea about a house blessing and I will wait and see where that thought leads.

St. James (Encampment): Not much to report on this week. (Rev) Jess Smith presided there yesterday. Calling and talking to those fine folks is on my list of things to do this week. I understand that they have three and possibility a forth kid attending Wyoming Wilderness Camp this year. What an increase of participation in this wonderful resource that we have in our Diocese. Good work people of Encampment!

St. Thomas (Rawlins): Karen and I have been in conversation last week as she works on assisting on planning confirmation this year. There was a request for the Bishop Elect John Smylie to come and preside at a local confirmation and I am pleased to say that one has been scheduled for February 13, 2011 in Rawlins. Karen told me that this group of five is really excited this event.

Ministry Developers: The Regional Reps and Ministry Developers met through WebEx last Monday to discuss a couple of events. One was a reporting back from the Council Meeting. The Council is putting together the budget for 2011 and it is desired to get as close as possible income and expenses and there is a new budgeting process in which different groups can submit their proposal to the Finance Committee. Then people will be invited different times to explain the request. During our meeting it was shared who will be the preacher for the installment and concretion of (Rev) John Smylie and the key note speaker for the Diocesan Convention in 2010. We also hear about some of the ongoing Mustard Seed Projects that are going on throughout the state. Another piece of business was a quick review of the regional confirmation schedule and for Region 4 it will be held at St. Christopher’s in Cheyenne on June 19, 2010 @ 10:30am.

On Saturday I was one of three presenters on Safeguarding God’s People. I realized later there may be some misunderstanding of this presentation with Safeguarding God’s Children and the key to unlock this mystery is the last word. Children is prevention of sexual abuse in minors and People address harassment and exploitation with adults. There were 13 people from throughout the state who attending the training and I say it was a successful event that used the compressed video network. I am sure more training will be available in the coming fall.

Coming up: This Monday I am hanging closer to the home office as I write this letter and address other administrative tasks. Tuesday I am planning on writing my sermon for Memorial Day in Savory Wyoming. Wednesday I will start my day with a WebEx meeting with the Ministry Developers, head over to Kraft Hall in the afternoon and finish my day with a counseling session with Jason and Nicki as they prepare for their wedding in August. While I am at Kraft Hall Karen and I will plan for some training for her to lead pre-marriage counseling if the need should arise. Sunday I will be heading to St. Paul’s (Dixon) for an abbreviated service at the church and then catch-up with the community of Little Snake River Valley for the annual Memorial Day gathering at the cemetery followed by the valley wide hamburger fry! Now that is the way to kick of the summer!

As we approach Memorial Day let us not forget those who sacrificed their bodies and minds in the service in our military. To serve in this capacity takes great courage and support from all of us at the home front; these women and men of the arm forces are continuously in my prayers and thoughts.

Have a great week!