Hello folks of Carbon County and a friendly Wyoming welcome to those who receive this letter who live outside of the part of Wyoming I live and work. This has been a different month for me as I traveled to California to preside at the wedding of my cousin and to visit with members of my family that I have never met. As we draw to the end of the month of September and draw our sights toward the Diocesan Convention that will be held in a couple of weeks, I wanted to drop everybody a line on what has been taking place. I hope this letter finds you well.
St. Luke's (Medicine Bow): It was good to catch up with the fine folks of St. Luke's on Sunday. When I arrived I found some of the back pews full of clothes from their “boot” sale. The concept is that booths or slots would be available for others to set up and to sell their items for a small fee. There were few if any takers, however there was plenty of donations. As it turns out they made almost $500 on the event. The reminder of the clothes have been donated to the Town of Medicine Bow as they prepare for “Medicine Bow Days”. Arlen got a bit teary during announcements as he shared that his life is going to be changing as he is planning on spending more time with visiting with family in the months ahead. This did not come to any surprise to St. Luke and they expressed their gratitude for his ongoing service to the church. I pointed out that this is not the end, but another chapter in their lives. We had our coffee hour outside due to the wonderful weather and a man who lives in Texas and is working in the air stopped on by to visit and had a cup of coffee. Talk about hospitality!
St. Paul's (Dixon): As it turns out for the past three months I have missed being present for the morning Eucharist service. Nevertheless I still stay connected by attending their bi-weekly “Bible Cafe” that meets on Mondays. The meetings rotate around the valley as they meet in different homes and read the bible from different versions. People are encouraged to share what they think and feel when the bible is read. At the conclusion of the reading period the social takes place as coffee or tea is served along with some kind of irresistible sweets. The last time we met we read Ecclesiastes and Solomon can paint a depressing picture. Toward the end of the book the vision of humanity was redeemed. I have found this time to be helpful as I learn what is taking place and stay connected with the members of the church beyond a Sunday service.
St. Thomas (Rawlins): As I turn to closer to home in Rawlins I don't really have to much to report about St. Thomas. They had a successful rummage sale a couple of weeks ago and this is becoming an annual event. The leadership of the church are moving into the fall rhythm and this year it is shift has brought about some change in the level of participation of some of the members of the church. This is normal as people's lives change along with their commitments. I look forward to the next chapter of St. Thomas' life as a church. In some other ways my participation remains the same as I hold office hours and prepare for the book study of “Born of Water, Born of Spirit”, and preside once a month.
St. James (Encampment): This group of people continue to be the church in their special way. They are a small and mighty group of faithful people. From what I have learned life continues to be be full of activity. They are preparing to participate in the up-coming convention and it will be good to see them there in Laramie.What is coming up? Monday is a full day. It seems to happen when I come off vacation. I am not complaining because I really prefer to jump in with both feet. Starting at 8:30am I will be on the weekly WebEx meeting with the Ministry Developers, then I will travel to Little Snake River Valley to spend the reminder of the day visiting with folks and attending the Fall Bible Cafe. My day will conclude with another WebEx meeting with the Regional Reps and Ministry Developers at 5:30pm. Tuesday I will be spending the day in the office preparing a sermon and attending a WebEx meeting at 6:45pm for Evangelism. Wednesday I will be holding office hours at Kraft Hall from 10:30am to 12pm. That evening I will be in Casper for the Ordination of the Rev. Kay Flores and the Rev. Tristan English into the priesthood. I have been asked to be one of the presenters for Kay. What an honor. Thursday through Friday I will be in Cody for “Getting to Share with the Bishop”. Like I said a full week coming off a well rested vacation. See everybody on the highways and byways of Wyoming!
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