The year 2010 is drawing to a close. It is natural to take this week between Christmas and New Years to think and review all that has taken place. As I write this letter I am surprised to discover that much has taken place. At the Diocesan level we said good-bye to one bishop and welcomed another. The first part of 2010 was about the walk-about and election. The Ministry Developers said good-bye to Rev. Margaret Babcock, Rev. Warren Frelund, Rev. Tommy Means, Rev. Linda Wilson, and Rev. Kathy Robinson; the Ministry Developers also welcomed Rev. Joel Dingman, Rev. Melinda Bobo, Rev. Roy Walworth, and Rev. Walt Seeley. The Diocesan Staff also has been through some changes with Andy Kerr, Katie and Pat Walsh all moving on to explore and do other things and welcomed Rev. Tristan English. This time of a year is bitter/sweet as we say good-bye and welcome. I hope this letter finds you well.

St. Luke (Medicine Bow): Prior to Christmas I spoke to Arlen on the phone. As it turned out one of the steady members of the church was not able to attend the Christmas service this year. Her family arrived a week early and she spent the holidays with her children. Yet the show went on and I heard that there were 21 people in attendance! It is looking like a new tradition is starting to form in Medicine Bow when it comes to Christmas services. That is encouraging news.

St. Thomas(Rawlins): These past couple of weeks have been full of fruitful activities. I have heard in passing that St. Thomas sponsored a family for Christmas and used some of their Mustard Seed Money to make a bleak Christmas a brighter one for a family in Rawlins. There was a soup and sharing dinner on the Monday prior to Christmas in which some honest and open sharing was done in preparation for the arrival of the Christ child that changed everything. I was able to participate in the worship event at St. Thomas from the pews. Sticking with the good-bye and welcoming theme (with an emphasis on welcoming) St. Thomas experienced their first Christmas with their local priest preaching and presiding. That is a major mile stone for this congregation.

St. James (Encampment): I started my Christmas Eve day in Encampment and worshiped with the congregation of St. James. I arrive and the parking lot was plowed! I was told that the snow was really high, but some of it had melted off. The people in attendance participated in an activity in which they were invited to “Look around you People of God” with the intention that they will discover that God was present among them (sticking with the idea that God was born as child and lived among us human beings). It went really well. This congregation will be saying good bye to no more running water and hello to a parish hall with running water! We also prayed for one of the grand-daughters of the member of the church as she will be deployed in Afghanistan for four months. We pray for a speedy return to the United States.

St. Paul's(Dixon/LSRV): Sunday the 19^th I spend my whole day in the valley. It started with preaching and presiding, followed by a Ministry Support Team (aka MST) meeting in which this congregation is using the “wheel” to lead the discussion, and then I ate lunch and the Senior Center. After having a wonderful meal and fellowship I headed to 3 Ladder Ranch to visit with the Salisburys. After my visit I returned to St. Paul's to wish Jesus happy birthday. On Christmas Eve I arrived to visit the Salisburys again and to pay George a visit along with his extended family. As it turned out George passed away on Christmas night around 10pm. The evening service at St. Paul's was a fun event and there was a young couple (mostly my age!) who are musically talented and they led “Silent Night” by playing the flute and singing the first verse. It was a holy moment. George's memorial service will be January 3^rd at 11 am in Baggs.

What is coming up? It is a quieter week for me (as you can see I am writing in the middle of the week). I will be meeting with “building committee” of St. Thomas as they work through figuring out the next steps in building a lift for the church at 3pm on Wednesday. On Sunday I will be preaching and presiding at St. Thomas starting at 9:30 am and then I will be going to St. Paul's for a 3pm service. Monday I will be spending most of the day in the Little Snake River Valley attending to George Salisbury's Memorial.

Like I said, there has been some saying good-bye and welcoming that took place during 2010. It looks like 2011 will be more changes that will be woven throughout the entire Diocese. Take time to mourn what has been lost and celebrate the new discoveries of the coming year. Happy New Year!

Letters to the Churches of Carbon County and Beyond

It is really interesting how events can change so quickly in one days time. Wednesday I had a full day lined up, but by the time the day was complete I finished my sermon that I was planning on writing on Sunday. Then the sermon that I was planning on preaching at St. James in Encampment changed because I was going to preach and preside at St. Barnabas in Saratoga. Advent is time for preparation, but prepare for what (smile)? As it goes to for planning … the difference between me and God is that God KNOWS that he is not me! I hope this letter finds you well.

St. James (Encampment): On Saturday I received a phone call from a member of the church. As it turns out two people where planning on attending church and she wanted to know if I wanted to make the trip for two people. My response was sure, after all I wrote a wonderful sermon and I wanted to share it with the congregation (the wonderful sermon is subject to debate!). Then I received a call from St. Barnabas confirming my meeting with the congregation. As it turned out the fine folks of Encampment were willing to change their plans and worship with St. Barnabas (in the spirit of working together and for me it meant that I could address two congregations in one meeting). Today (Sunday) I received a text message informing me that the people of St. James in Encampment were sick. It all turned out ok in the end. I am looking forward to Christmas Eve worship event in Encampment!

St. Paul's (Dixon/LSRV): I made it to Baggs last Friday to spend some time answering questions for the second part of the Social History for those who are entering the process for the call to Holy Orders. Similar to my week, the snow was blowing, then the sun was out, then it was cloudy, and the wind was either blowing or not. That was just for the trip to Baggs. Linda laughed at one point as she looked out the window and saw a whiteout taking place. I smiled and said I am not worried and I was right. The weather cleared right up. Much like the social interview in the midst of chaos there is clarity. I have been working with Linda for about seven years and I am still learning more about her every day. Linda, Jill, Julie and I have been reading a book called Christianity-The First Three Thousand Years written by Diarmaid MacCulloch. The concepts that the author are talking about and the way they are put together is very complex, however the way the material is presented is well done and accessible. This is going to be a good book study.

St. Thomas (Rawlins): Last Wednesday I was schedule to meet with a couple to continue with their marriage counseling (mostly preparation for the couple since they are newly married) and one of the parties had to work so we changed our plans. Thursday I meet with the Ministry Support Team and we discussed various events and happenings that are taking place at St. Thomas (going around the wheel that looks at – worship, pastoral care, administration, formation, and transformation). I have also pointed out that the members of this team have met their one year commitment and so we talked briefly about how to include others in this work in the future. After the MST meeting I spent some time with the vestry as they too discussed activities that are taking place at the church from an administrative perspective. The installing and building handicap accessibility bathrooms will be a major project for 2011. Most people know when a building project at this size does tend to disrupt things and in this case for the right reasons!

St. Luke (Medicine Bow): On Monday I received a call from Arlend asking if I knew who was coming over to preach and preside. About three months ago I was planning on attending Landmark Form in Denver Colorado from December 9^th through the 12^th and 14^th. As I turned out I changed my plans and so Jess Smith and I changed or service schedule. I was going to take St. James in Encampment and Jess was going to St. Luke's in Medicine Bow. Poor Alrend and Jess were spinning around trying to figure out who was where. I have also received useful direction as for Arlend's preaching licensing process.

Ministry Development (well it is a development): Sunday I had a good conversation with St. Barnabas (Saratoga). This started with a phone call from Ralph Hicks who was looking what and how to get licensed for preaching. That started two years ago. I helped Ralph put together a discernment group (similar to a MST). Today I explained the process of congregational development in that is it a process and not a program. The congregation liked the approach. It took seven years of driving by the church, help from Rev. Ray Griebs and with God's help. I am very hopeful for the future with St. Barnabas.

What is coming up?: Monday I will be heading reviewing a joint project with the Rev. Tom Fiske and Rev. Tristan English. Tuesday is the Gospel Study meeting at St. Thomas. Wednesday is office hours at Kraft Hall (Rawlins). Thursday is administrative day (sermon writing and etc.) Sunday I will be preaching and presiding at St. Paul's (Dixon); making a pastoral visit and enjoying ARK's Christmas program (having a birthday party for Jesus). Take care.

A sense of the range and breath of my work

Here is a map showing all the congregations of Wyoming. I primarily work in Region 4. To give you a sense of distances, I often see my travel not in miles but in time. St. Paul (LSRV/Dixon) is about 167 miles around trip or about one hour and fifteen minutes of travel one way. You can find the congregation in the lower central part of the state. St. Luke's (Medicine Bow) is located to the east and north of Rawlins. Is about 123 miles round trip and takes about an hour to travel one way. St. James (Encampment) is also to the east of Rawlins, but to the south. The total mileage round trip is about 128 miles around trip and it takes about an hour to drive one way. I often joke with others when I tell them that my “office” is about the size of Connecticut with a fraction of the population.

Letters to the Churches of Carbon County and Beyond

Today is an important day in the history of the United States. Pearl Harbor was attacked and the outcome of that battle lead the United States to enter World War Two. It was a game changer or a point in history that defined a different direction. I am not a historian or ever claim to be one, but that battle changed the United States at its core. Prior to that moment, the United States was on the sideline in most world events. Most of the United States family life was organized different. Then the Greatest Generation was born and they changed the very social fabric of this country. We continue today to live with the change. Japan who was an enemy is now an important partner with the United States on the international level. Europe appears to be more stable now then 69 years ago. These are big changes. What about changes at the local level? I was talking to a 87 year old woman this morning and she said that church has changed from her earlier years as mother of five children. “Congregations are struggling to be congregations.” was what she said. I noted to myself was that what as changed is our understanding of leadership and ministry. If we like it or not (and I do) there is a shift from gathering around a person to gathering around ministries. Sure this change in our congregations are impacted the same way Pearl Harbor changed the United States, nevertheless, we are living through an important point in history that is changing the direction that we are moving as a Church. I have come to believe that the God that I have come to know intentionally built an altar around a tent because we are a people that move, grow and discover new lands and ideas as we journey together as a people of faith. The change we now experience is more of a local expression than grand global one. I hope this letter finds you well.

St. Thomas (Rawlins): Last week St. Thomas was asked a difficult and painful reality, the birth of a baby who was born at 18 weeks and lived for only a few moments outside of the womb. This is a painful part of our lives and it has been my experience that it does not get talk about much. It is hard to prepare a pastoral response to such an event, yet God does provide. The young baby was baptized by Rev. Karen Buckingham at birth and four days later a memorial service was held to assist the family and friends in dealing with their grief and sadness. In some ways it was a recognition of my personal dream and vision. Throughout this entire response I was able to remain on the sidelines so to speak. I was able to sit in the pews and be supportive of the leadership so that family got to witness a group of people responding to a need and ministry. It was truly a collaborative effort with many people contributing both visibility and behind the scenes. I count this one of my prouder moments of ministry and a blessing in the midst of great pain and distress. On another front St. Thomas is working hard and putting together some final details on moving forward in installing a lift to grant more people access to the under-croft for fellowship. Another dream that is coming to fruition.

St. Paul's (Dixon/LRSV): I preached and presided at St. Paul's last Sunday and there were some slight changes. One, we moved the service from 5pm to 3pm so that we all can travel in the daylight. The deer like to hang out on the road at dusk and I sure like seeing God's creatures with plenty of time to avoid hitting them! What I forgot to mention last week was a group of people from St. Paul got together a couple of weeks ago and made Advent baskets for those who consider themselves members of the church, but are not regular attendees for different and various reasons. The outcome so far is that one person attended church and others have written thank you letters. Linda and I continue to put together the needed paper work for her call to the priesthood and you will see a picture of her looking up her baptism date.

St. Luke's (Medicine Bow): I received notice that the Rounds are looking at see what it would take to put in a new wall furnace. The old one that is near the lectern has failed. There has been some looking around for a replacement. It is funny how when one starts to do research they find more questions than answers! I am sure this will resolve itself all in due time. On another front I have composed a joint letter for Arlen's preaching licensing and so that will be send to the Diocesan office.

St. James (Encampment): I spoke to Rev. Jess Smith and he informed me that they are “jazzed” about receiving their grant. It will not be until spring until they are able to “break ground” for their new parish hall that will include a bathroom, a gathering place for the community, and will include handicap accessibility to the church in the next phase. This could be a moment in the history of this congregation that changes who they are and perhaps communicates to the larger community that there is much that can happen when a committed group of people pool their passions that is worth while and grand in vision!

What is coming up? Tuesday evening I will be meeting with a group of planners for Rhythms of Grace at St. Thomas. This is a liturgical event that is designed with people with special needs such as autism so that families and people who have autism can experience worship in a meaningful and real way. Wednesday I will be at Kraft Hall for office hours and then marriage counseling that evening in Rawlins. Thursday St. Thomas has a Ministry Support Team meeting before the vestry meeting in which I will be in attendance for both. Friday I will drive to Baggs to conduct a social interview of Linda Fleming (St. Paul's/LSRV). Sunday I will be heading over to Encampment to preach and preside. Following that service I will head to Saratoga and meet with the fine folks of St. Barnabas about how Shared Ministry works and the implications of having a local priest in their midst.

In closing I hope that some point in this Advent Season you will look back and say that there was a meaningful moment that an encounter with the Divine took place and that your lives were forever changed. Keep praying for our armed forces who are deployed here stateside and abroad. May some day all the world experience peace that is beyond comprehension.

Letters to the Churches of Carbon County and Beyond

It is the first Sunday of Advent for the Episcopal Church. A parishioner of St. Paul has this to say about Advent (in a round about way): It is sure nice to be a part of a church that thinks and acts with liturgical seasons. Welcome to the new year. Advent is about preparing for the arrival of God in our midst. Incarnational in spirit and by through living and being in relationship through the church and our local communities we see the the physical manifestation of this reality. I hope this letter finds you well.

St Luke's (Medicine Bow): As I write I am sitting in Medicine Bow. I finished with a brief meeting with the leadership of the church. It turns out this was outreach Sunday! They decided to make some contributions to the following organizations: Nets for Life (ERD); the local museum; the Medicine Bow's Methodist Church to support the the parish hall community outreach activities; Medicine Bow's senior center; and Lion's club. Talk about being the physical presence of Christ in the local community. There has been some talk about a coal to fuel plant being built in the Medicine Bow area. Surveys are taking place with plans to break ground in 2012. This has been a long process; however the upside is employment of about 400 people is in the mix. This is promising news.

St Paul's (Dixon/LSRV): Not much to report from last week. I want to keep with the weekly discipline of writing about activities throughout the region. As it turns out this was a short week (only three days) and so I move on to the next church in this posting!

St. Thomas (Rawlins): Again not much to report. I do know that the Wednesday Morning Prayer was canceled last week because of Thanksgiving. This is not a bad because people had a chance to worship and give thanks for God's many blessings the next day. On to the next church.

St. James (Encampment): I trust that the Rev. Jess Smith made it to preach and preside this Sunday the first Sunday of Advent. I made some changes in my schedule and will be preaching and presiding twice in December of 2010. Next.

What is coming up? Ok here we go … Monday is the weekly WebEx meeting with the Ministry Developers starting at 8:30 am. Tuesday I will be attending the Gospel Study group at St. Thomas for preparation for sermons. Wednesday I drive to Casper for a face to face meeting with the Evangelism Team and return to Rawlins for a marriage counseling session. Thursday is my sermon writing day. Friday there is another WebEx meeting with the Regional Reps and Ministry Developers at 5:30 pm. Sunday I will start my day at St. Thomas in Rawlins, head to 3 Latter Ranch for a pastoral visit and preach and preside at St. Paul's at 3pm. Also this week I am the on call Chaplain for the Rawlins Police Department. It is going to be a fun week. Take care.

Letters to the Churches of Carbon County and Beyond - Nov 23 2010

Good morning folks. I trust that your preparations for the pending and long anticipated Thanksgiving Holiday is fruitful! I was talking to a friend in Rawlins yesterday and she has a friend coming down from Canada. It was noted that perhaps her friend would like to spend time with her family on the holidays. When it was pointed out that Thanksgiving is a United States Holiday I started to laugh! Talk about not being in tuned with other countries. Well it is good that the spirit of being together is recognized throughout the world and where the United States has a holiday in November I am sure many other countries have their own days of celebration. I hope this letter finds you well.

St. Paul's (Dixon aka LRSV): Last week I wrote up the discernment process for Linda Fleming as we (Linda, the Diocese, and myself) work through the process of getting all the paper work put together in regards for those who are entering Holy Orders. The process is bit front loaded with the administrative tasks, but that makes the final steps a bit easier. I also responded to a couple of question from a parishioner from St. Paul's. She is eager to learn and asked informed questions. The result from our brief interchange of e-mails was Linda Fleming now has a “study-buddy”. An example of studying in community. Sunday I preached and presided at St. Paul's. There were children in abundance as the boys remained in the church and the girls played in the parish hall, some things never change. During communion I saw a mother, with her husband and three boys all lined up at the communion rail. I laughed because that is an image of my household only in reverse! Later that afternoon I drove up to 3 Latter Ranch and visited with George Salisbury. My children accompanied me and so as we shared communion we once again had children dancing about us and the laughter was delightful.

St. James (Encampment): I have some great news to report. The hard working folks of St. James submitted a grant request to start building a parish hall that will include a bathroom, handicap accessibility, and a gathering place for the town of Encampment. They received the full amount that they could receive which is close to half of the total project. Now they need to gather bids and could be “breaking ground” in the spring. This is a fine example of what a group of committed people can accomplish when they work toward a common goal. I am looking forward to seeing how this work unfolds in the future.

St. Luke (Medicine Bow): I talked to Arlend last Friday about next week. He graciously extended the invitation to preach (it is a good way to keep his skills sharp). We are working on his licensing for preaching. I also received a report that St. Luke didn't have church a couple of Sundays ago due to the weather. The snow was blowing and visibility was bad. It was decided that Rev. Jess Smith would remain in Laramie and wait for another day. I am heading up to “the Bow” next Sunday and it will be good to hear what they are up to. Advent starts that Sunday and the Episcopal Church begins another liturgical year.

St. Thomas (Rawlins): I received a request from St. Paul Episcopal Church in LRSV to let people of St. Thomas know that a “bi-member” of both St. Paul's and St. Thomas was in the hospital and if anybody from St. Thomas could stop by and say hi, pray, and offer to visit would be greatly appreciated. The Pastoral Team jumped right into action and visited this person twice a day for a week straight! Nice response. The VTC (video teleconferencing) equipment is now fully operational! I was a bit nervous as the technician and I walked around the building trying t locate an ideal location to set-up the receiving and sending unit as it turned out St. Thomas as the near perfect location. By the time all was said and done St. Thomas has a near perfect connection and everything is working well. It is a “win” for St. Thomas and the Diocese as a whole. St. Thomas is also working on establishing a worship experience for families with special needs with children. The Rev Karen Buckingham has discovered a wonderful resource called Rhythm of Grace that provides direction and structure for this very kind of outreach work. This has great potential as outreach to the community of Rawlins and I am looking forward to seeing how this work unfolds in the future.

What is coming up? Yesterday (Monday) I drove down to LSRV for their bi-monthly bible study. They are working through the bible one book at a time and they are currently reading Isaiah. Plenty of justice issues being addressed and the outcomes are prickly (what a surprise) yet there is hope woven into the the selections. This time around there was much “review” as names of groups of people in the bible were brought up. Tuesday (today) is working around the home office day. I am planning on wrapping up a couple of administrative tasks before entering the holiday spirit. We are planning on traveling this year, but we will have to wait and see about the weather. Next Sunday (Nov 28^th) I will be presiding at St. Luke's in Medicine Bow and listing to what Arlend has to share with his preaching. I hope your week is full of good cheer and wonderful fellowship.

I end this posting my work with the HR Wilderness Camp aka Wyoming Wilderness camp. I am a member of the programing group that has gathered to begin looking at programing ideas and recommendations to the Board as to what could be accomplished in 2011. The work is challenging, but I trust that in time God will reveal a direction. It is important to stay in touch with one another and try to be honest about your feelings and thoughts about the Camp. You can contact Bruce Hellbaum (chair of the HR Wilderness Camp) at bhellbaum@netcommander.com; Rev. Tristan English (Diocesan Office) at Tristan@wyomingdiocese.org for more information.

Letters to the Churches of Carbon County and Beyond

This time of year seems to invite memories. The summer events are now slowly fading into the past and the more recent fun of hunting (for those in Wyoming), high school football (LSRV won their 6 man state championship last weekend), Halloween along with other fall activities are now complete. In some ways November is a harvest month in which we as a nation will take a day of the month, gather around family and friends to celebrate the blessings of our lives. I understand that not everybody will be in good cheer, but the fact that we do gather could provide hope for a better future. With Pat Walsh leaving the position of the Director of the Wyoming Wilderness Camp aka HR Wilderness Camp brings about mixed feelings for me. Pat has done wonderful work with the camp and was a loyal and dedicated member of the Diocese of Wyoming. I admire his spiritual courage to face the challenges ahead by asking me to honor him by doing what I can to continue to honor the ministry of the youth of Wyoming. Where the future may be unknown to him at this time, I am sure that God will continue to honor his personal integrity as a person and as a baptized member of the church. During my conversation with Pat on Saturday he wanted others to know that he would like to here from you when you get a chance. His contact information will be sent in a different e-mail. I will have fond memories of when Pat and I worked together during presentations of Safe Guarding God's Children, two sessions of Middler Camp II in 2009 and 2010, and our lively talks. I pray that the Episcopal Church will continue to harvest the fruits of the seeds that Pat, through the prompting of God, have planted over the past eleven years in Wyoming. Pat was, and still is, a good friend. Ok, now onto the events and happenings of Carbon County. I hope this letter finds you well.

St. James (Encampment): I was heading out the door yesterday with my middle child and my youngest surprised me by quickly getting dressed and ran out the door with me. I have decided a couple of years ago that I would not talk my daughters out of going to church. If they want to come along they are more than welcome to do so. We arrived and the faithful were present. This time of year ranching operations change and selling and breeding of cattle become an important aspect of the landscape (I hope I got that right!). Also the fact that other members of St. James were away on a long anticipated vacation the when two or more are gathered God will be there was in full effect. It was nice to catchup and inform them that I will be preaching and presiding on our normal rotation in the month of December. They await to hear any word about their grant proposal from the Foundation. I am optimistic about what is to come. The girls enjoyed their time in Encampment.

St. Thomas (Rawlins): Last Tuesday I participated in the weekly Gospel Study which has been rewarding and helpful for my sermon preparation. Wednesday I stuck around for short period of time at Kraft Hall and headed home to get some resources on my laptop for the parish administrator. Thursday I sat down with the Ministry Support Team aka MST and we decided as a group that in our future gatherings it would be held an hour before the vestry meeting and they will review five areas – Worship, Pastoral Care, Administration, Formation, and Transformation and share what is taking place in these areas. What is helpful is the agenda for the meeting is set along with the time and date. Everybody can participate and see the large picture.

St. Paul (Dixon/LRSV): Now I have a funny story (well for others it may be funny it could have ended poorly but it didn't) about driving on the “Baggs Highway.” Last Monday I headed out of Rawlins and noticed that I had a ½ tank of gas according to my gauge in my car. I was south of Cresten Junction which is 24 miles west of Rawlins on I-80 where a person turns south to head for Dixon when the gas gauge dropped to low fuel status. I did ok until I was about 19 miles north of Baggs when the fuel ran out. How do I know the exact location? My GPS told me. Any ways I surrendered to the fact that I was about to share a similar experience with Jesus and walk about the same distance they covered in a day. As it turned out God had other plans. I was given a ride into town, found a friend who had a 5 gallon gas can which we filled up and he drove me back to my car. I arrived at my scheduled event just in time to enjoy the goodies. Whew! That was a close one. Thursday I drove back to the Little Snake River Valley (this time with plenty of fuel) and talked to different people from St. Paul's about the next steps for Linda to move forward to the priesthood.

St. Luke (Medicine Bow): Not much to report other than I am heading to St. Luke's in a couple of weeks to preach and preside. These smaller churches provide an icon into God's gracious and wonderful blessing. Spending time with smaller churches give me a deeper appreciation of the depth and range of the church and how it takes all kinds of churches to make the entire body healthy and vital. The Diocese of Wyoming landscape provides a nice diversity when it comes to sizes of congregations.

What is coming up? This morning (Monday) I was on the weekly WebEx meeting with Ministry Developers in which we welcomed two new members to the team – (Rev) Roy Walworth and (Rev) Joel Dingman. Tuesday I will be working with (Rev) Tristan English on exploring seeing if we are one more step closer to getting the VTC up and running. Wednesday I am planning on hosting and participating on a WebEx meeting with the Wyoming Wilderness aka HR Wilderness Camp spiritual planning team. Thursday is my write my sermon day and Friday I will be on another WebEx meeting with the Evangelism Team that Kathy Robinson has put together. This upcoming Sunday I head to St. Paul's in Dixon to preach and preside and to eat at the senior center following the service. That evening Rawlins will be having a Community Thanksgiving Event at the Jeffery Center starting at 5pm. Have a great week.