Letters to the Churches of Carbon County

I cannot imagine how much material I have covered for the past ten years through writing this weekly letter. This all started back in seminary when a professor told my class that most people will not understand us as we are transformed over the three years. That started my weekly habit of writing letters to family and friends. When I arrived in Wyoming to continue my calling into Shared Ministry I continued to write. Week after week I wrote and today I continue to follow that discipline. Why do I write? First it was to sharpen my writing skills and to keep others informed about what I do week to week. As a Ministry Developer it is easy for people to fall into that trap – out of sight out of mind. I now write to tell the story of Region 4 in Wyoming. I am not sure that I fully capture the stories that are told, but I remain faithful and let outcomes be what they are. Ok, now onto what has taken place for the past week. I hope this letter finds you well.

St. James (Encampment): I don't have much to report this week. I heard that they are in conversation with the Foundation about their grant proposal to build a bathroom/parish hall. There was a suggestion that the project be done in two stages and it was pointed out in the grant proposal that was a possible suggestion. Rev. Jess Smith presided yesterday and there is a chance that he will be back next week to catch them up on the Eucharist Services next week. St. James is also planning on attending the local Senior Center Flea Market and the kids of the church are planning on selling baked goods to raise money to pay to them to attend Wyoming Wilderness Camp next year. Other than that they are busy with various events of life.

St. Luke (Medicine Bow): Last Sunday I received encouraging news. One of the faithful members of the church who has in the past travels south for the winter and informed the church that this year she has checked it out with her doctors and family and has received permission to remain in Medicine Bow for the winter. It may be her last because after that she will be ninety years old. Great to be that vital at that age! There also has been some brief discussion about purchasing a new “wall furnace” to lower the heating costs. As it turns out there is enough money from their rummage sale this year to pay for about half of the cost upfront. Not bad at all for a church that is stilling looking at ways to have a bathroom!

St. Paul's (Dixon a.k.a. LSRV): Last week they hosted a discussion about immigration in the United States and more particularly what is taking place in Arizona. As it turns out members of the church leadership winter in different parts of Arizona and so it was nice to hear more of what people are struggling with from a local perspective. The big insight for me was to hear stories that for some people from Mexico they have traveled to the United States because they are safe here in large part as a response to the growing drug trafficking problem and wars among gangs jockeying for position among themselves.

St. Thomas (Rawlins): Oh how did I manage to overlook St. Thomas? Perhaps it is because I was just there! What is taking place? Last week I was a member of a graveside service of Wyoming Engstrom who received sacramental support from St. Thomas for as long as I remember. Also Rev. Karen Buckingham has attended her 5^th of 6 systems retreat last week. I am looking forward to hearing about what she has learned.

Ministry Developer: Last Thursday I talked to two people from St. Barnabas about discernment and preaching licensing. We shall see how this unfolds in the future. What is coming up? Well I attended the Fall Bible Cafe in LSRV on Monday and today I attended the Gospel Study at St. Thomas. I have made a couple of phone calls and now I am moving toward the middle part of my week in fine fashion. I am the “on-call” chaplain this week and so I will be dropping in for the briefings with the Rawlins Police Department. It is also a week for WebEx as I will be participating in three meetings – Ministry Developers, Evangelism, and Regional Reps. This Sunday I head over to Region 5 to preside at St. David's (Fort Bridger) and St. John's (Green River) and I will be back in home to enjoy the Halloween festivities. Have a great week!

Letters to the Churches of Carbon County and Beyond

Ok folks. Nothing profound in thought or meaning this week. It will be a typical up-date of activities throughout Carbon County and what I am doing with the churches that I work with. The colors of the trees are changing and it seems like this took place like a flip of a switch. Much like the past two weeks. Now, to move on to the activities of Carbon County and Beyond! I hope this letter finds you well.

St. James (Encampment): This is what I know. Their grant proposal for a bathroom/parish hall with renovations to the church building has been reviewed and there needs to be some slight adjustments to the grant. This is encouraging news. I have the privilege and honor to be affiliated with a church that continues to meet and worship on a regular basis and does not get distracted by physical limitations of the building. Good work! The Rev. Jess Smith and myself continue to be members of the team who provide the sacramental support to this community of faith.

St. Luke (Medicine Bow): Arlen and I are in conversation about the Preaching Licensing to be completed by December 31, 2011. Arlen was a licensed preacher under the previous process. This year the COM (Commission On Ministry) have revised the process and has asked all licensed and inspiring preachers to enter this current process (in my words) so that uniformity and standards will be met in the coming years. Again Rev. Jess Smith and I are members of the team of people who provide sacramental support for this community of faith.

St. Thomas (Rawlins): Last week I met with the Gospel Study group after being away for the summer months of 2010. It was nice to reconnect. I also talked to the MST (Ministry Support Team) of St. Thomas to share that the Diocese has entered a strategic listening and learning period that will last until next convention of 2011 in Cheyenne. It is my understanding that everything is on the table for discussion including my role as a ministry developer. This did not alarm anybody and I take this as a sign of spiritual maturity of this church. Good work St. Thomas. I also met with the vestry to explain the process of preaching license and the vestry role in the process. St. Thomas has also decided to begin having a children's Sunday school once a month and is preparing for the Fall/Winter activities such as the Rawlins Bazaar and selling Christmas wreaths.

St. Paul (Dixon): I presided at St. Paul's yesterday and I was blessed with arrival of a new family to the area. They are familiar with the liturgical worship setting and the mother of the 3^rd grader has many questions. Bring them on! We also tried something new during the Prayers of the People and played music in the background to enhance the prayerful experience. It worked well; however we need to turn the volume down so that others can hear. A very minor adjustment. The members of St. Paul's are also discerning a local priest and are considering what direction they want to take in the future.

Ministry Development (Doug): I have been working on establishing a static IP for Rawlins so that the Diocese can fully utilize the VTC (video teleconferencing) equipment. The Rev. Tristan English, Shane Glassburn (Rawlins) and I have been in conversation. I believe we are about 90 percent complete, but you never know when it comes to technology were you stand from moment to moment! I also sat in the Wyoming Wilderness Camp Board meeting last Saturday in Casper. What I can report is that this board is looking toward the future with an encouraging attitude. The camp is growing in numbers and slowly becoming more economically viable. One major growth area is if every community could send 5 to 6 kids to camps this could increase outreach at the local level and expand the opportunity for the next generation to encounter God who continues to surprise us in wonderful and unexpected ways.

What is coming up? I completed my weekly WebEx meeting with the Ministry Developers. Tuesday I will be visiting with the Gospel Study group of St. Thomas (Rawlins) @ 9am followed by meeting with the Rev. Tristan English to continue our work on the VTC. Wednesday I will have office hours at Kraft Hall (Rawlins) from 10:30am to 12pm and then I am heading to St. Paul's (Dixon) to participate in a learning and discussion session about immigration issues starting at 6pm. Friday I will be presiding at a graveside service in Rawlins starting at 10am. Sunday I will be heading to St. Luke's (Medicine Bow) to preside. Have a great week!

Slide Show of Convention 2010

Here is a slide show of some pictures from Convention this year. It was held in Laramie and on Saturday we had breakfast at the Cathedral Home. The opening and closing worship events were hosted at St. Matthews. It rained the first night and it thundered during the service. It also rained on Sunday as we all departed to different points in the State. Enjoy the show.

Letters to the Churches of Carbon County

It has been one of those kinds of weeks that I was afraid that my “weekly” posting would not make it; nevertheless I have managed to sneak away from the household project of putting down a new floor in our bathroom which included up-dating on some of the plumbing (the house we live in was built in 1923 so this kind of work is expected) to drop everybody a quick line before our annual gathering at the Diocesan Convention which this year will be held in Laramie.

As I drive about and review conversations that I have had, listen to the radio, and periodically enjoy the quiet my mind wonders and ponders. One theme that keeps coming up in my thoughts is the word “but”. How it works is when “but” comes up in a sentence or in conversation everything prior to it gets discarded or dismissed. That is a great idea BUT and a list of reason why it would not work. I think we get the idea. With that in mind I am working substituting the word “but” with the word “how” in my conversations to embrace a more invitational attitude toward life. That is a great idea HOW will that work in our current setting? How will, we as a church and as individuals, tackle our challenges that we face with grace and integrity? Shall I give this a try as I share what I have been seeing and experiencing the life of Carbon County and the Episcopal Church? I hope this letter finds you well.

St. Thomas (Rawlins): I presided at St. Thomas last Sunday. Before the service started the worship leaders where commenting that we may have a low attendance on this Sunday. I remained calm about the news and noted that often in my experience with the church is that where is may appear that few people will arrive right before the service begins the pews themselves begin to fill up. Sure enough that is what happened. Also, a new couple was worshiping with St. Thomas that Sunday. They come from New York and they work for the local newspaper. How will Shared Ministry work at St. Thomas? I believe it is speaking the truth and sharing personal concerns with one another with grace and compassion will lead this group forward. They have all the tools to be a vital church and they have worked really hard to arrive where they are now. If they feel a bit taxed will it is because of the amount of emotional energy that was spent to get to where they are has been great. What they have accomplished in the amount of time they accomplished it is nothing short of a miracle. Small steps add up to large gains.

St. Luke (Medicine Bow): I don't have much to report this week other than since they “partnered” with the Bishop's Office through the Shared Ministry concept the leadership of the church has been more involved with the Dioceses by attending the Convention. They are now on their second Convention this year. How will they continue to be an Episcopal presence in Medicine Bow and the surrounding area? I don't know, but I have the confidence that God has some ideas and through discernment the vision will emerge. Time is our friend.

St. James (Encampment): I heard a funny story about St. James last week. They gathered for their weekly service and waited for Rev. Jess Smith to arrive. About thirty minutes later they decided to begin. As the service unfolded, Jess arrived and poked his head in the door with a smile on his face. As it turns out cows were being moved and the highway provided a nice pathway. Not so friendly for cars and trucks, but that is a part of the life of Carbon County. The people of St. James laughed and got on with the service. How will St. James continue with the life of the church (this is my question and it is not addressed to anybody in particular)? It looks like they will continue to be who they are and that is resourceful and gracious.

St. Paul's (Little Snake River Valley): Two weeks ago I overloaded my schedule and attempted to do too much in a short period of time. I miscalculated how much travel time I needed to get everything thing done in the “valley”. I attempted to attend the Fall Bible Cafe but I ran out of time because I wanted to visit with George Salisbury and provide him with Holy Communion. What I didn't realize is that there is some road construction in the area (the first time I have encountered it since my arrival in 2003). George is hanging in there. Time has a way of catching up to us all. George has lived a full and fruitful life and he continues to think of others. Our prayers and support goes out to him and his family has he faces that birth into another reality in the presence of our God. How will St. Paul embrace the change of leadership (George has been the senior warden for as long as people can remember)? Like they always do, the next generation steps in and begins to lead the church and community forward into their future.

What is coming up? It is a short week were I will be spending the remainder of the week in Laramie. I will attempt to drop everybody a line next Monday or Tuesday. Take care.