Letters to the Churches - Jan 25 2010

Hello good folks of Carbon County and the extended network of family and friends. It is time to check back in again and share what is taking place in this part of the world. I was reading Margaret’s blog “Wondering in the Wilderness” @ www.margaretinwyoming.blogspot.com and she reminded me about having a blog voice. I have given this some thought. I wonder what my blog voice? Perhaps it could be understood like a family sitting around a table for a meal in which everybody shares and checks in with the family. I have also changed my format of this weekly posting and will stick with it for a while to see if this works. As of last week I have heard from two people who said they like it and one person who said they didn’t. So, I am not going to be to quick in changing back and see what comes out of this new format. “Life is a continuous process of improvement.” So, as we settle in for another review of the past week and enjoy one another’s company, I hope this letter finds you well in your part of the world.

St. Thomas – On Tuesday I received a call about a moving a funeral from the local funeral home to the church in Rawlins. I was not asked to preside because the family had asked Marilyn Engstrom (the Dean of the Cathedral) who is a close family friend to lead the service. I didn’t see it to be a problem; however the need to contact the senior warden or a member of the vestry to received the official approval. As it turned out Karen was called upon to help coordinate everything on the church’s end. The service was on Thursday and I heard it was standing room only and the service was done well. Back to Wednesday I spent some time with Karen reviewing the ordination service for this up-coming ordination and wrote my annual report for St. Thomas. Friday I wrote my “honking report” for St. Thomas’ monthly newsletter. St. Thomas said their good-byes for now to Jess Smith had their annual meeting on Sunday (Jan 24). I am looking forward to hearing how the meeting went.

St. Paul’s – Last Monday (Jan 18) I drove to Dixon to host two Wade in the Water sessions. Linda had arrived and so we got prepared and waited. As we waited for people to arrive we talked about planning the up-coming annual meeting. We figured by 2:45pm people were not coming for the earlier session, so Linda and I continued to brainstorm ideas about what activities and goals for 2010. As we talked we came up with quite a list of ideas that we will share with the congregation. By 5:45 pm we realized that the second session was another no go. Not a problem because I was able to get home earlier than expected.

St. James – Not much to report on this week; however I am planning meeting with the leadership for lunch this week to review grant writing process and to check in with the preparation for the bishop walkabout.

St. Luke – I spoke with Arlen earlier in the week about how we will coordinate the service on Sunday. He was really busy taking care of his daughter, planning a trip to see his Mom, and other various tasks of life. We reviewed what needed to be done on Sunday and it was decided that I would preach. On Sunday we hosted the service and then gathered for the annual meeting. We received news that the preschool is coming along quite well and a request for items for the school will be submitted shortly. The leadership agreed that once the school is set-up we should host a blessing. Delegates have been elected for both the election of the next bishop and for the annual convention in October. We also laid out our goals for the up-coming year which includes finding ways to connect to the surrounding communities of Hanna, Elk Mountain, and Rock River.

Ministry Developer: I worked on the first part of the week on a flyer for the Latino Ministry Workshop. Here is a selection from that flyer as a means to generate interest: “The Hispanic population is one of the fastest growing part of the demographics in the United States. As the Episcopal Church looks toward another exciting decade of sharing the Good News of Christ in Jesus, the Diocese of Wyoming is given an opportunity to host a workshop led by The Rev. Canon Anthony Guillen from our National Church Office. The workshop will be hosted on February 13, 2010 from 10am to 4pm (lunch will be included) @ the Diocesan Office in Casper. The day will be divided into an introductory course from 10am -12, and a more advanced course from 1-4pm. Please choose to come to just the morning session or to the full day. Sign up by calling: Ms. Katie Johnson 307.265.5200” We also had our weekly check in through WebEx in which we discussed a pastoral concern, the EDS on-line ethics course, the walkabout and annual meetings throughout the Diocese.

What is on deck for this week? On Monday I will start my day meeting with Karen to finalize the ordination service and take it to print. Then I will spend the remainder of the day in Little Snake River Valley for a “getting to know you better” meeting and the Winter Bible Café reflection on the Psalms. Tuesday I will meet with the Wyoming Wilderness Camp programming leadership to finalize the calendar, to discuss the fees, and begin developing the programming for the up-coming camp year. Wednesday will be a full day in which starts with the weekly check in with the Ministry Developers through WebEx. I will then wander over to Kraft Hall for a couple of hours. From there I will share a meal with the leadership of St. James (Encampment). That evening I will be on another WebEx meeting with the Regional Reps. Thursday will be most likely an administrative day to write sermons and send out notes from all my meetings. I am planning on taking Friday off from work and to play. Saturday will be a big day for St. Thomas, the Diocese, and for the church. Karen Buckingham will be welcomed into the priesthood and the service begins at 9am in Rawlins. Sunday I will be visiting in Region 5 as I will preside at St. David’s (Fort Bridger) @ 9am and then St. John’s (Green River) @ 11 am. Enjoy the week and see you around this wonderful place we call home – Carbon County.

Letters to the Churches of Carbon County and Beyond - Jan 17 2010

January 17, 2010

Hello folks of Carbon County and a big Wyoming hello for those who receive this weekly posting who live beyond this part of the world. It is a sad time for those who live in Haiti as the news of the on-going rescue efforts demonstrate the human spirit to have hope in the face of overwhelming odds, perhaps we can learn a lesson or two about our own ability to remain focused on moving forward in the midst of difficult times. The January blues (more like a let down from November and December activities) are moving behind us as the calling of God to the church unfolds before us. I hope this letter finds you well.

I have been thinking about the format of this letter and I may make a couple of adjustments. I will move from giving a day by day reporting and be more specific to what I have done with the various groups of people that I worked with during the week. The idea is that for those who would like to read what others are doing they are freed to do so, and for others who are more concerned about is happening to with their particular group the can find it quickly. Let see how this turns out.

St. Paul – Monday (Jan 11): I went a bi-monthly Winter Bible Café in which this faithful group meets to read the bible from cover to cover. They are working through the book of Psalms. It is really nice to hear different versions being read and shared. People are discovering their own personal preferences and noticing that there are differences between bibles. I think next time I will bring the Book of Common Prayer for comparison. Tuesday (Jan 12): I meet with Linda through WebEx and with the help of Karen from St. Thomas in Rawlins we were able to firm up a worship schedule for the next five months (not including any vacation time that may come up). Sunday (Jan 17): I was in Dixon for an evening service. It was a slightly smaller gathering due to people on vacation and the Denver Stock Show taking place over the weekend. I stayed a bit later after the service to plan out my week before heading home.

St. Thomas – Tuesday (Jan 12): Like I referred to about St. Paul church schedule with Karen is lined up through the Month of June. Karen was also interviewed by the local newspaper Rawlins Daily Times and you can read the article at this link -> http://www.rawlinstimes.com/articles/2010/01/14/news/doc4b4ea43810057017174590.txt
Wednesday (Jan 13): I was in Kraft Hall for office hours and worked on putting together the pieces of Karen’s ordination for Jan 30, 2010.

St. James – Wednesday (Jan 13): I had a productive breakfast with Vonnie (I hope I spelled her name right) in which we discussed some concerns that she had about what has been taking place for the past couple of months. Nothing to be alarmed about, but nevertheless it is helpful in keeping the lines of communication open and flowing. Sunday (Jan 17): I presided at St. James in Encampment and it was funny as Fred ran about before the service with a measuring tape taking measurements of the building. After the service we all gathered at the Johnson’s house for the annual meeting. St. James has decided to move forward in building a parish/meeting hall that will be attached to the church. In this addition will be a small kitchen, a bathroom, and a space for groups to meet. The addition will also include handicap accessibility for people to enter the church. That is exciting stuff. St. James also decided to send Wyoming Wilderness Camp scholarship money for 2010.

St. Luke – The only thing I can report this week is that the Rounds are visiting with family and friends for the week. I have heard reports that they are moving forward with their Mustard Seed Project and it as been mentioned that the pre-school will be opening soon. That is great news!

Evangelism – Wed (Jan 13) I met with the evangelism team through a WebEx meeting in which we continue to practice using the reflection questions and are beginning to look at hospitality. We also received an up-date on where and how many Evangelism Workshops that Kathy and Roy have hosted. Kathy and Roy are available if your congregation is interested in having this workshop in your congregation. Please contact me for more details.

Ministry Developers and on-line Ethics course – Thursday through Saturday (Jan 14-16) I was in Casper for a Ministry Developer Face to Face Meeting and the Ethics on-line face to face meeting. During my time with the Ministry Developers we share what is taking place in both our professional and personal lives. Andy also shared the newest developments in how the Diocese is becoming more connected through the use of technology and he encouraged all of us to start blogging. Margaret’s blog can be found at this site -> http://margaretinwyoming.blogspot.com
We are also putting together a Latino Workshop that will be hosted at the Diocesan Office Feb 12, 2010 @ 10am to 4pm. More information about that will come out later. The Ethics on-line course is launched and we are now in week 1.

Ok what is on deck for the week? Well I did not put in this post were the events of Monday (Jan 18) in which I will let everybody know what happened. Today I am working through my “to do” list. Wednesday I will be in a WebEx meeting with the Ministry Developers starting @ 8am, office hours at Kraft Hall from 10am to 12pm, and a Region 4 Apostolic Team meeting through WebEx @ 5:30pm. Thursday is a catch up day. Friday I will be in Laramie to work on my personal project. Sunday I will be in Medicine Bow @ St. Luke’s for a service that starts at 10:30 am.

Let me know about this format. I not sure I want to stick with this because is lacks a narrative flow and therefore it becomes longer. We will see. 

Letters to the Churches of Carbon County - Jan 11 2010

January 11, 2010

Ok folks this is going to be a busy week. I have three days to write a sermon, attend a couple of important meetings, and then I am off to Casper for three days (Thursday through Saturday) before returning to Carbon County to preside at two services on Sunday. Ok it looks like 2010 is going to be a “crazy and wild” year! (Think Steve Martin, hint, hint). The quick glimpse around the County looks like this; Ray Grieb has moved to Wheatland and so Jess Smith and I are making adjustments on service schedules to make sure everybody gets covered; St. Luke had a report on the progress on the pre-school (report from Ida’s FB status); St. Thomas is working on making preparations for Karen’s ordination; St. Paul is reentering their flow from the Christmas break; and I was able to catch up (briefly) with the leadership of St. James in Encampment this past Sunday. I hope this letter finds you well.

Last Monday I spent an hour with the Gospel Study group of St. Thomas. They meet weekly and I drop in on the week that I am to preach in Rawlins. It is a good time to listen and discern what is happening at St. Thomas and through out time together I get inspired. One of my personal goals for this year is to deepen my preaching. I also assisted Karen in putting together an invitation that she will be mailing out in the days to come to various churches and people throughout the Diocese for her ordination.

Tuesday I met with Andy and Pat in the afternoon to prepare for a web/phone meeting with the Wyoming Wilderness Camp leadership that night. Andy taught Pat how to up-date the WWC on-line calendar and I got to learn a bit more on how to use WebEx. That evening the leadership group for WWC (Wyoming Wilderness Camp) got together on-line reviewed dates for camps and decided to go with “I Will With God’s Help” as the theme for this year’s camp. Good stuff.

On Wednesday I was on the weekly web/phone meeting with the Ministry Developers in which we finalized our agenda for the up-coming face to face meeting in Casper; reviewed the on-line Ethics course and general check in. That afternoon I was on another web/phone meeting to set a date and set a general out-line for a Latino Workshop that will be hosted in Wyoming on Feb 13, 2010. More details will be coming out in the days to come.

Thursday I wrote my sermon and caught with the Ministry Support Team at St. Thomas. The MST discussed Karen’s ordination and scheduled a time for the local paper to come and interview Karen. The group also made plans for Wade in the Water study for the season of Lent. Following that meeting I headed out and the vestry met.

Saturday I was at the monthly Worship Breakfast at St. Thomas in which they discussed ways to improve the flow of the service, and brought up the idea of having a public speaking session scheduled in the coming months.

Sunday I was at St. Thomas for the service. My girls are becoming more comfortable with serving with me around the Table and there were a couple of children in attendance during the service. There was a house blessing that afternoon in which Burke Epp had his newly built home blessed and open to people to take a tour. Burke had designed this house and it clearly has his touch. Nicely done.

What is on deck for this week? Tuesday I will attempt to write my sermon and be present to be a resource person for Karen’s interview with the local newspaper. I will also be on a WebEx meeting with Linda Fleming to discuss service schedules for the coming months. Wednesday I will be meeting with a friend from Encampment for breakfast and then off to Kraft Hall for office hours. That evening I will be on a WebEx meeting with the Evangelism Team of the Diocese. Then I will be out of town for the next thee days for a Ministry Developer face to face meeting from Thursday to Friday. On Saturday there is a face to face meeting with the Ethics on-line group. Whew; like I said “wild and crazy!” (Again think about the comedian Steve Martin the wild and crazy guy from the 80’s).

Weekly Letter to the Churches of Carbon County and Beyond - Jan 4 2010

January 4, 2010

I was asked a question during the service at St. Paul’s in Dixon about how to refer to this year calendar date. Is it twenty ten or two thousand and ten? I really don’t know. Twenty ten sounds contemporary but two thousand and ten sounds traditional (i.e. we said two thousand and nine last year). Well in both cases what we have is a beginning of a new decade. That is hard to imagine. We (the Diocese) opens this year with a large change on the horizon and will have a better picture of what will happen by the end of the first three months with the election of the next Bishop of Wyoming. What a way to start the decade.

Also it seems that this Christmas and New Year holiday was shorten. I was talking to my brother, who is a teacher, about this while I was in Colorado Springs. We concluded that the reason the Christmas break was short was because Christmas was later in the week and so most of us kept to our usual activities before taking a break for the holidays. So with that in mind (the quick break) let’s move on to the business of the Church and Ministry Development in Region 4.

My vacation plans got “flipped” as I was planning on going to Wheatland first and then to Colorado Springs. However, due to weather concerns I remained in Rawlins for an extra two days and started my vacation in Colorado Springs and then went to Wheatland. I wonder if that is what to expect in 2010? Well more to the point, I arrived in Dixon to preside at St. Paul’s for their Christmas Eve services and the church was full. I believe there was close to fifty people in attendance. We quickly asked a younger and eager child to light the candles and assist in handing out the individual candles for the singing of Silent Night. It was nice to see the church in the warm glow of candle light during the song. Later that evening I was presiding in Rawlins at St. Thomas and again there was a large crowd with familiar faces and families and sticking to the tradition of singing Silent Night to candle light the members of St. Thomas sang the well known Christmas song.

The following week was pretty quiet as I received reports that people are getting ready for the annual meetings that take place during this time of year. I enjoyed some time with family as drove throughout the state dropping and picking up kids. So there is not much to report on that front. However, due to the slowdown in activity I was able to think more intentionally about my goals for 2010. There are so many different choices to make when it comes to continued professional development! I am not completely sure what I will be doing for the coming year; however I will be attending a workshop in February around stewardship and worked on wrapping up the details to attend that event. I am sure the upcoming year will provide opportunities of discernment and discovery.

Yesterday (Sunday) I drove to St. Paul’s in Dixon and enjoyed the drive. The weather was nice, the roads were dry, and the views were wonderful. I arrived to find the sidewalk and the entrance to the church covered with snow. As I “plowed” through the snow I watched members of St. Paul work through the snow and noted that the possibility of people slipping and falling was real. So, I spent the first ½ hour shoveling snow off the sidewalk back into the street to clear the path. There was a gentleman from across the street that saw my efforts and came over with his snow blower and assisted me in my effort. Task accomplished and we gather to worship in a timely fashion.

The coming week looks like this: Monday I will be attending a Gospel Study at St. Thomas and working through a “large” to do list. Tuesday I have planned to wrap up my activities from Monday, to make a couple of phone calls to check in throughout the region and that evening host a web/phone meeting with those who are involved in the Wyoming Wilderness Camp. Wednesday is the typical full day with a web/phone meeting starting at 8am and office hours at Kraft Hall from 10am to 12pm. Thursday I will be working on administrative items and perhaps be writing a sermon and that evening attending a Ministry Support Team at St. Thomas. Saturday I will be attending a worship breakfast at St. Thomas. Sunday I will be presiding at St. Thomas and the service starts at 9:30am. Enjoy welcoming in the New Year!

Letters to the Churches of Carbon County - Dec 21 2009

December 21, 2009

And then there was four days before Christmas and the Ministry Developer in Region 4 took a deep breath, let it out, and found that he was excited about the possibilities of the coming year. What has taken place this past week? Four web/phone meetings, a Ministry Support Meeting at St. Thomas in Rawlins, and three services throughout Regions four and five. I hope this letter finds you well.

When I last wrote it was in the AM of December 15, 2009 and there is not much to report on what I did on Tuesday other than tie up a couple of loose ends with the up-coming Ethics on-line course, putting together an agenda for the Ministry Support Team meeting at St. Thomas and a web/phone call with the Evangelism Team. The Evangelism Team is building of a basic theological reflection model through story telling and listening which asks two questions: Who are the people God’s family? and How do they show God’s activity? We are now currently looking at hospitality and the reflection questions are: Where is there inclusivity and exclusivity taking place? We also discovered that people of the church are creatures of habit and when we changed the night that we gathered it was mostly overlooked. A perhaps it could be that it is December and our lives get busy with extra activities.

Wednesday was an all day web/phone meeting with the Ministry Developers. In the past the Ministry Developers would meet face to face ten times a year, however, with the cost of travel on the uptick we have discovered and becoming quite competent in using “webinar” technology to meet. We will continue to have face to face meetings, but they will take place about three to four times a year. During our meeting this past Wednesday we shared our up-coming goals for 2010, up-dates on the Apostolic Team meetings, final touches on an on-line Ethics course with EDS, and got a report from Andy on using technology to connect the Diocese more efficiently in the coming year. We also received a report that the Wyoming Wilderness Camp will be open in 2010 as they (Foundation, Counsel, and other organizations in the Diocese) continue to work on the water and sewer issues. That evening we had a Regional Rep and Ministry Developer web/phone meeting that included items about the Bishop search, technology implementation goals, report on Evangelism, and general check in.

Thursday I work in office in the morning and that night I met with the Ministry Support Team of Rawlins. We discussed up-coming goals for 2010 to be shared with the vestry who met after our meeting. I was on my forth web/phone meeting of the week which was the Wyoming Wilderness Camp programming group in which we discussed dates for the “core” programming that primary focus on the Episcopal population and then talked about how to engage other organizations throughout the state and even on the national level.

Friday I was in Laramie working on my personal project and met with Pat. I was able to help Pat trouble shoot a technology issue and learn a bit more on how to be a resource with others in helping them use WebEx. Pat also purchased a head-set for his computer and we tested it to see how it works.

Sunday was a full day that covered two different regions throughout the Southern half of the state. My day started at Fort Bridger in St. David’s. I should have known that I was going to experience an increase in attendance due to the families gathering for Christmas. I was able to spend a couple of minutes after the service and enjoyed “coffee hour.” Then I arrived at St. John’s in Green River for an 11 am service. I was blessed with the beautiful sounds of children singing and the attendance was again doubled due to more families attending. I arrived in Dixon around 4:45 pm for a 5pm service at St. Paul’s. The fellowship was rich and Linda said it was a nice experience with the “dark church being lit up by the wonderful candles”. Yup the light of the world is coming and we all can rejoice!

The upcoming two weeks looks like this … I have two services on Christmas Eve starting at St. Paul’s in Dixon at 4pm. The second service will be in Rawlins at St. Thomas. Jess Smith will be presiding at St. Luke’s in Medicine Bow this year. I am thankful that we can now provide Christmas Eve services to most of our congregations throughout the state! What a gift. I will be on vacation after Christmas Eve and will return to “normal” work on Tuesday of next week. Keep an eye out for the love of Christ! And have a Merry Christmas!

Letter to the Churches of Carbon County and Beyond - Dec 15 2009

December 15, 2009

Hey! I realized that Christmas is about 10 days away and that time will quickly pass by! As pondered on what to say much has taken place in the span of a couple of hours. The big news for St. Thomas is that Karen is scheduled to be ordained into the priesthood on January 30, 2010 @ 9am in Rawlins Wyoming. More details will be coming out after Christmas. As for other events, I was interviewed by the local newspaper about the Mustard Seed Project and it was a good article, Arlen Rounds and John Masters contributed to the article was well. St. James in Encampment continues to plug along and I have received news that last week the area (Saratoga and Encampment) had 5 funerals in 48 hours; much grieving taking place there. The bishop search continues to unfold along with more information about the candidates and the discernment process is made public. As normal for this time of year, the children presentation in Dixon was hosted with snow falling. I hope this letter finds you well.

Last Monday (Dec 7) I started my day helping the members of St. Thomas put up their Christmas Tree in the church (not to worry it will be lit after Christmas) and waited anxiously for the release of the “slate” of names for the next Bishop of Wyoming. During this morning the snow was falling and I was in contact with Linda Fleming in Dixon about developments of the falling snow in that part of the state. We decided by mid-morning that the Wade in the Water session will be moved to the next available Monday which is December 21, 2009. So I worked on other various tasks and goals and had a light day.

Tuesday I caught up with a community leader of Rawlins for a cup of coffee. We discussed what she is working on and possibilities of areas that “communities of faith” could contribute to the development of downtown Rawlins. I also told her about what St. Thomas has been working on with their Mustard Seed Project with the Blessing Bundles. I later found out that conversation lead to a phone call from the local paper as they wanted to learn more about this wonderful opportunity. It is great when a community’s networking flows.

Wednesday was its usual full day. It started with the weekly Ministry Developer web/phone call in which we discussed the up-coming ethics course, the slate, and some general check in. Then spend about an hour at Kraft Hall with the extreme cold keeping me from moving around too much. At noon Karen arrived at Kraft Hall and we (through the use of WebEx) had a learning event in which Linda Wilson facilitated a conversation using family system’s theory from real life situation in the parish at St. Thomas. Good stuff.

Thursday was more like a day of recovery. I took things a bit slower and made a couple of calls and relaxed. Friday was a busy day of travel. It started with my attendance of a funeral in Saratoga. That was perhaps a glimpse of the future. We had four clergy members present. Melinda Bobo, Ray Grieb, and Susan Dyer (she was not vested) a deacon from Colorado and I were all there. As the priests got ready for the service we quickly decided on who would take what part of the service and it was standing room only in both the church and the parish hall. As the service concluded I saw people from all around the County from different Episcopal Churches in attendance we are a remarkable family. That afternoon I headed to Casper to participate in the open house of the newly renovated office building. I like the use of space (it is open) and I am looking forward to learning how to use this new tool for building the church here in Wyoming.

Sunday was another full day and it was nice to follow the biblical principle that people are to travel in pairs. Pat Walsh drove over from Laramie that morning and made a presentation about the Wyoming Wilderness Camp. The camp is close to wrapping up a fund drive and are close to reaching their goal of raising about $40,000 that will be matched by the Foundation. That news is encouraging. The camp itself is currently looking at sewer and water up-dates to continue to provide a safe and wonderful experience for all who attend camp. That evening Pat volunteered to drive with me to St. Paul’s Dixon for the Christmas Program in which the community has a Jesus birthday party. The roads were slick and so we arrived at the end of the presentation and got a slice of pizza and a piece of cake. Pat was impressed with the vitality and the attendance and expressed to me that St. Paul is an example of what a small church vitality could look like throughout the Diocese. Hats off to the leadership of St. Paul and all that they do in that community. This is the second time this year I was blessed with having a travel companion from the Diocese as we visit the churches that I work with in the region.

Monday I had a great conversation with the Boys and Girls Club of Wyoming in Rawlins. Pat for the past couple of years has been working with Boys and Girls Clubs throughout the state and has made important strides in building relationships beyond the walls of our local churches. Pat shared a story about how one child expressed during a quite reflection time that being at the camp was the first time they felt safe in their lives. That is a powerful statement. So, on Monday I talked to the director about looking at opportunities in which we can collaborate together for the sake of our children in Wyoming and I have discovered potential ministry in this area of our world. There is something bubbling waiting to be born into our reality. Tuesday I was pleased to announced that Karen Buckingham will be ordained (God and the People are willing) into the priesthood on January 30, 2010 @ 9am at St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Rawlins Wyoming. All are welcomed to attend.

Ok what is going on this week? This evening I will be on a web/phone call for the Evangelism Team as we continue to discover God in our world and build on the spirit of hospitality as people come and worship with us. Wednesday I will be spending most of my time using WebEx as the Ministry Developers get together for our all day meeting followed by another meeting with the Regional Reps that evening using WebEx platform to host the gathering. Thursday I have two meetings in the evenings the first one is with St. Thomas’ Ministry Support Team and then I will be participating in a Wyoming Wilderness Camp Programming web/phone session. On Friday I head to Laramie to continue to work on my personal project. As for Sunday I will be in Region 5 and preside at Fort Bridger @ 9am, Green River @ 11 am and if I have the energy and the time, preside at Dixon that evening. Oh come Emanuel (so that the priests can rest!).

Letters to the Churches of Carbon County and Beyond - Dec 7 2009

It is the beginning of the third week of Advent for the Episcopal Church. Advent is a time for preparation and anticipation of something wonderful is going to happen. Anticipation can work in different ways, it can be exciting (just ask children about Christmas) and it also can be full of anxiety (just ask people about their Christmas shopping, meal planning, and calendar). What we are faced with is a challenge. Our response to this challenge can be rewarding and deeply satisfying and I welcome it. My personal response to this challenge is to find the grace and gratitude in each day, in each conversation, and in each encounter with the attitude that I will discover something divine. Ok, off the soup box and on to the happenings of Carbon County! I hope this letter finds you well.

Last Monday (Nov 30) I made a couple of phone calls and received a few myself. I was informed that a meeting was schedule on Saturday (Dec 5) and added that to my calendar. That afternoon I drove to Baggs to participate in the Winter Bible Café in which a group of people from St. Paul’s have been meeting faithfully for the past couple of years as they read the Bible from cover to cover. On this day the group started reading the Psalms. It was not later this week when I realized that one of the selections from the Revised Common Lectionary was Psalm 4. That is noteworthy to see how the two calendars intersected.

Tuesday (Dec 1) I worked on my sermon and got most of it written and then I went on “Facebook” (a social networking website) and one of my classmates from seminary posted two good questions. Who are the modern day prophets and where are our wildernesses? I pondered those questions for the remainder of the week. I also made some phone calls that day.

Wednesday (Dec 2) has become one of those days that my schedule has become full. It starts with a weekly web/phone meeting with the Ministry Developers. We are currently working on a technology/communication project in which we will be able to host video conferencing throughout the Diocese with more ease. I am excited about the progress on this project and soon the churches will be receiving a letter outlining this work. We, as a group, are also putting together a roster for the next on-line learning opportunity that the Diocese as partnered with EDS to teach Ethics. Finally we had a general check in time. Then I was at Kraft Hall for a couple of hours. During my time at Kraft Hall I put together a proposed agenda for the Worship Team Breakfast for St. Thomas and talked to MaryBelle (the contact person for the team). That evening I headed to Denver.

Friday (Dec 4) I spent most of my day in Laramie. I got a chance to talk to Jess Smith (Associated Priest for Region 4) about changes that are taking place in the Region and began a conversation about how we will provide coverage for the churches in the coming year. After that wonderful cup of coffee I was able to catch up with Pat Walsh for lunch and got an up-date on his work with the Wyoming Wilderness Camp.

Saturday (Dec 5) I participated in a Worship Leaders breakfast at St. Thomas in Rawlins. We had a good discussion about the role of the presider and have prepared the schedule for the month of January. St. Thomas will be busy for the next couple of months. Upon finishing the breakfast I assisted in cleaning out the basement at Kraft Hall and in turn came across a wonderful sermon idea that fits nicely with the upcoming Sunday (Dec 13).

Sunday (Dec 6) I headed to St. Paul’s in Baggs to preside. Due to the cold weather the roads were in great shape (it was too cold for the snow to melt and therefore no ice). I was not sure what kind of attendance to expect, but as it turned out we had a nice crowd. The sun came out and everything was bright and shiny. After the service the Ministry Support Team met to discuss upcoming events like Christmas (Jesus birthday party) that will be hosted by ARK, annual meeting, pastoral visiting, bishop search, and etc. We also went over to the Senior Center for lunch.

This is what is on my calendar for the coming week. Monday I will be at St. Thomas to enjoy fellowship as a group of people continue to “green the church”. That afternoon I head to St. Paul’s for another session of Wade in the Water. Tuesday I have a relational meeting scheduled and a web/phone meeting pending. Wednesday is that full day again and this time I will be meeting with Karen Buckingham along with Linda Wilson from noon to about 3pm. Thursday I have a web/phone meeting and some administrative items to cover. Friday is the open house event for the renovated Diocesan office in Casper and all are invited to attend. It starts at 5:30pm and I will be there for the event. Sunday (Dec 13) is going to be a busy day. It starts with me presiding at St. Thomas in Rawlins and Pat Walsh will be making a brief presentation on the Wyoming Wilderness Camp. That evening (if Pat is up for it too) I will be attending ARK (Amazing River Kids) annual “Jesus Birthday Party” at St. Paul’s which concludes with everybody heading to Baggs for the Christmas parade.