Thoughts and prayers...

Friday, July 12, 2013

July '13 CM Report

Sabbatical: I’ll be starting sabbatical (my first ever!) next week and my first day back in the office will be October 15th.

Although a good deal of my time will be practicing the “sabbath” part of sabbatical-ing (I am going to try and match Leo’s napping schedule, for example), I’m also going to be exploring the subject of decision making from the perspective of different organizations, different fields and brain science. I’m really pretty excited about it and have a good sized pile of books I’ll be working through the next few months as well as a conversation or two with some experts. As you might imagine, one of my primary roles is accompanying individuals, churches, committees and institutional structures as they move through various discernment and decision making processes. I want to learn more so I can share more. I’ll be posting occasional updates and reviews of what I’m reading on my blog (Thoughts and Prayers) if you’d like to keep up.
While I’m away, if there’s anything you’re seeking that you’d normally call me for, contact Arlene. For those of you who might not know her, Arlene Hobson is out Executive Administrator. Our office number is 206-725-8383 and Arlene’s email address is pncucc@gmail.com. Although we have many of my tasks covered, please be patient with those in our conference structures when - inevitably - something comes up that’s outside those systems we’ve set up.
Do know that I will not be able to receive emails, phone calls or any other work related communication while I’m gone. I ask your prayers for rest, refreshment and new insights. THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY!!!!!!!

General Synod: For those of you who follow the Pacific Northwest Conference listserv, you saw some of the wonderful reflections on General Synod from our delegation and visitors (if you’re not on our listserv, please sign up! Its a great way to keep up on PNC news. Click on this link to get instructions). I really appreciate the snapshots of conference life that our moderator, Tim Devine, shares with the conference! There are a few actions of Synod, in particular, that I’d encourage you to keep your eye on or check out:

Two resolutions we endorsed at our Annual Meeting were passed by Synod.

The first one is titled “A Resolution In Support of Outdoor Ministries of the United Church of Christ.” Its a good and faithful witness to this ministry we share together.
The 2nd was a call for the UCC to divest from the fossil fuel industry. Do take the time to read this article and take a little extra time to check out the considerable attention our denomination received for taking this action.

Three of the resolutions may have a specific effect on the work and life of our conference.

The first is a resolution that recognizes United Samoan Ministries as a historically recognized group which both gives them the opportunity for special recognition by the denomination as well as separates their work from Pacific Islander-Asian American Ministries (PAAM). This also provides us an opportunity to be in ministry with our ethnically Samoan churches more effectively.
The 2nd is a resolution that instituted a study that will reconsider the boundaries of conferences. At this point, we’re far from knowing whether or not this resolution will effect the way we work but we will be invited in to this discernment work in the coming years.
The 3rd is the resolution that I was the most excited about and is the first, official step towards exploring a closer relationship with the United Church of Canada. Our conference - with Washington, North Idaho and Alaska - shares more of a border with Canada than any other other conference. In many of our border towns, at least one UC of Canada church is geographically closer to some of our churches than any UCC congregation. When you consider the environmental, justice, border and trade concerns we share in addition to the possibility of mutual recognition of each other’s ministries, this resolution becomes more and more exciting to me. I’m really looking forward to closer working relationship with our neighbors to the north!

Insurance Assistance Fund: You’re going to be hearing more about this soon, but we need to increase those monies that are part of the PNC Insurance Assistance Fund. These monies are used to help support those retired clergy and smaller churches that could not afford to pay for health insurance, otherwise. In many cases, we’re talking about retired clergy that served churches others would not; congregations that served rural or isolated settings with small memberships. Many of the churches we support are in some sort of transition or in communities where the voice of a more inclusive form of Christianity is small. This is important work for both the health of our congregations and pastors. If you are so called, please consider sending a check to the Pacific Northwest Conference with “For the Insurance Assistance Fund” written on the memo line. Thank you!

OK, that’s it for now. See you all in a few months and, again, if you’d like to see an occasional sabbatical report, take a look at my blog: Thoughts and Prayers .

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Flooding: Tuesday Prayer for 6/25/13

Inspired by 2 Kings 2:1-2, 6-14

Dear God:

These days are long ones.

I feel the guilt of every task delayed one more day because previously undone tasks became urgent. It is the small things that feel big, the big things that I try to do too quickly and the unimportant things that I turn to too often because I can hide there looking busy as my anxiety flies around

(like a swarm of bees).

I swear that I can feel the weight of each new email as it drops into my inbox. I fool myself into thinking that if I don’t listen to a voicemail it doesn’t quite count.

And, then, these are the small things. Because, then, I read the paper or listen to the radio and people are killing each other and people are DECIDING TO LIGHT THE PLANET ON FIRE and people are protesting and people are indignant and people are trying to change things and I know I will join them

right after I catch up on email.

The diapers... These are a new thing. Yes, here is the stink of happiness and messy, wonderful reality. There is nothing more important than this happiness and this laugh and these new teeth.

Nothing. I will set everything aside for the smile that comes after this smile and too figure out what our boy needs when he can’t quite speak it, yet.

All those other things and people - however - already use their words. Frequently. Insistently.

These days are long ones and, sometimes, It feels like someone left the faucet and the tub is overflowing and I keep mopping trying to figure out why the mopping doesn’t take care of this flood.

(Deep breath..)

(and again...)

(and again...)

These days are long ones. They are full ones.

God, if I can’t turn off that faucet, would you mind parting the waters?

A little dry land would be lovely.

If not, could you help me find an island of dry land?

A little time alone would be lovely.

If not, might you send a boat my way?

A sailboat would be lovely.

If not, could you remind me how to float?

Taking a little time to stare at the stars would be lovely.

Let me try that again:

(Deep breath..)

(and again...)

(and again...)

(there is the sound of birds, now. the sound of my child waking, now. the sound of rain, now. the strangely comforting sound of the dishwasher, now. the sound of my breath... and my breath... and my breath... now.)

And the waters

part.

These things, these people, this family, this place, this day, these tasks...

They are lovely.

They might be a tapestry that grows things if I just nurture and pray and love

and pray and love and pray and love

and pray and love and pray and love

and pray and love and pray and love.....

Amen.

Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Tuesday Prayer for June 11th, 2013: First Father's Day

Inspired by Luke 7:36-8:3 and Leo

I am his father and

he is my son and

I am at his feet as I

hold him up over my head

just to hear him giggle.

He thinks I am wonderful for no other reason than I can do

this

right now

(at the moment he most needed it).

I am at his feet and

he is looking down at me and

his giggle washes over me like

the most

expensive

perfume

ever

(at the moment I most needed it).

My sins and my father’s and his father’s and his father’s are all washed away by these blessed giggles of this blessed child.

This is grace and beauty and forgiveness and hope.

This little boy.

I know there will be other days but

this one...

this day...

...is good.

I am his father and

he is my son and

I am at his feet as I

hold him up
over my head
just
to hear
him giggle.

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

(inspired by Luke 7:1-10 )

Dear God who sometimes seems so far away...

(Silence)

Help us know how close you are...

(Silence)

Amen

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Tuesday Prayer for 4/16/13: Enough

Dear God:

One: God is my shepherd,

  I shall not want.

God makes me lie down in green pastures,

  and leads me beside still waters...

Many: Please lead us through these rapids of change, the floods of anxiety, and the droughts of hope.

One: God restores my soul,

  and leads me in right paths

for the sake of God's name.

Many: Our collective soul is battered and bruised. There are multiple paths in front of us. Help us pause and pray then - as a restored people - be willing to be lead on the right path.

One: Even though I walk through the darkest valley,

  I fear no evil; for you are with me;

your rod and your staff — they comfort me.

Many: We confess we sometimes do fear evil and the evil doer. It sometimes seems as though there is so much and so many to fear and, then, all our panicked attempts to build comfort and hope leave us even more broken.

One: You prepare a table before me

  in the presence of my enemies;

you anoint my head with oil;

  my cup overflows.

Many lead by one: Let us pause and remember what it means to trust and be trusted.

(silence and a deep breath)

          Let us pause and remember what it means to love and to give love.

(silence and a deep breath)

Let us pause and remember all that we have and all we might share.

(silence and a deep breath)

One: Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me

  all the days of my life,

and I shall dwell in the house of God

  my whole life long.

Many: We have enough. We are enough. We can be more. Thanks be to God. Amen.

Amen.

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Tuesday Prayer for 4/9/13 (um, plus a day...)

From http://www.cruzblanca.org

(inspired by Acts 9:1-6)

One: Knocked on the ground by a flash of light, Saul - gasping for breath and grasping for vision - hears a voice...

Many: “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”

One: Have you heard the voice of God this week? Was it a question?

Many: A plea?

One: A blessing?

Many: A cry?

One: A call?

Many: A song?

One: Have you heard the voice of God this week? Did it come in the form of a person?

Many: A feeling?

One: A coincidence?

Many: An incident?

One: A surprise?

Many: A healing?
One: Have you heard the voice of God this week? Amen.

Sunday, January 27, 2013

The Inheritence

Here's a link for my post to the Seattle U's School of Theology and Ministry's "Faith and Values in the Public Square" blog.

http://faithandvaluesblog.com/2013/01/27/the-inheritance/

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

1-22-13 Tuesday Prayer: Mission Statement

Inspired by Luke 4:14-21

Dear God:

One: And Jesus said,

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,

because God has anointed me

to bring good news to the poor.”

Many: “God has sent me to proclaim

release to the captives

and recovery of sight to the blind,

to let the oppressed go free,

to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor."

One: Amen. We in the church may seek out our mission statements...

Many: And mission statements...

One: And seek out our purpose. And yet, if Jesus is the one we follow...

(Moment of silence)

One: If Jesus is the one we follow...

(Moment of silence followed by these words)

If Jesus is the one we follow, aren’t we called to support the work of Jesus?