i made it to tampa -- & general conference

i made it to tampa!  flights went well, but i think i lost a day traveling...the big question is, will i get it back when i return to california?  as i walked from my inn to the convention center this morning, the main drive i went on has these united methodist information banners; many different ones; the picture isn't so great, but you get the idea; very inviting and informative of what we are doing locally and globally.  what do you think about including these around merced?  beware (or be aware), united methodists are in the community; come serve with us; come grow with us; come and get to know the jesus we know . . . what do you think? 

as i was walking, i saw this community garden, directly across the street from where people board their ships for a delightful vacation on the seas.  i've always thought that our 'back 40' grass area could be a wonderful neighborhood garden; useful for our neighbors and a reminder that we are a working church; a place of action; food for physical and spiritual growth.  what do you think?  is this worth an effort worth exploring?  the wesley club recently applied for a peace with justice grant, and ended up offering a food demonstration that paralleled the groceries we offer from our monthly food pantry, with supplemental fresh organically grown produce...awesome, don't you think?!  i love the thought that we could do something like this on an on-going basis . . . . 

and so, what would a trip to florida without seeing a cruise ship?  interestingly enough, i received a text from someone visiting family in west virginia, where it is snowing!  today it is beautiful in the south-east; my first visit to florida.  it is growing on me...they have a streetcar that travels from the neighborhood where i am staying (ybor city--pronounced ibor) to the downtown area.  what a great way to travel back after my leisurely 50,590 walk downtown.  ybor city is a great little neighborhood; the former cigar rolling section of the city that actually had its own name, and has a number of warehouses, and is in re-development; and, as it turns out, a growing artistic section, a fun nightlife (well, i went to see 'the lucky one'  -- bring tissues!), and the location for the lgbt community; but i didn't see a church community here, besides scientology...the umc of merced would fit in great here ... hum; ok, i'll come home -- but promise me we will think seriously about a community garden...

now that you know i am safely here, i'm off to be trained as a page...someday, i'll become a volume!  thank you for your prayers as the united methodist church makes decisions that will effect us for the next four years ... with my hope for a more inclusive offering of love!

what spring looks like . . . .

what does spring look like . . . . this year, after easter sunday?  easter just keeps happening!

easter looks like a weather report.  we have had an odd occurrence in april, generally california's start to the post rain season; instead of the beginning our non-rainy season, we've had rain; storms; and as a result, as the above picture shows, a double rainbow.  i took this picture on my day off last week, as i was heading into the grocery store.  our prayers continue for those throughout the country who have experienced devastating weather conditions that did not look so uniquely beautiful.

easter looks like the usual meeting but with a unique twist.  today i have arrived in west sacramento at our conference center where a group of about 40 of us have gathered as the board of ordained ministry, to receive reports and recommendations that relate to those who are entering, participating, and completing their journey in 'professional' ministry.  there are many ways we are in ministry together; this committee focuses on those who are in particular leadership according to our annual conference and our general church.  these are exciting times....

one  person for whom we are receiving a recommendation for ordination as a full member in our annual conference began her journey toward pastoral ministry in the merced church.  we are very excited about kris marshall!  we celebrate her gifts and the years she will serve and move us as a church into the unfolding ways of god.  the risen jesus must surely be celebrating!

easter looks like the movement of the spirit and a plane trip.  following this long meeting, i depart to attend general conference, which meets every four years, to review where we've been as a world church, and to envision where our ministry is headed in the next four years.  i have been to general conference before; this year we will meet in tampa, fl.  i am excited to be serving as a page this time -- basically, i get to run around doing errands that (hopefully) help the process of decision making.  on top of that, i will be adding a lot of steps to my pedometer. 

i'll spend a little time with micky and minnie as well.  this will be my first visit to the orlando area, where, i understand, one can "experience the world" through the presence of the epcot center!!

so, before i return back to my attentive nature at the meeting, i wanted to share my appreciation to the united methodist church of merced for their support of my participation at this conference.  i will try and share highlights over the next two weeks...so stay tuned.  blessings to you in this time...and your prayers will be most appreciated!  easter just continues -- thanks be to god!

easter . . . and so it goes . . .

 we walk to easter, in a journey that begins with one step . . . one foot in front of the other; in the light of day or the dead of night, we simply begin that reflective walk, one step in front of the other; called to find in our search for the spirit, a still small voice of god's hope.  in the midst of our walking, we are surprised by what happens.  god is on the journey with us.  and when we walk with god, jesus is our partner. 

on the labyrinth, we do not get lost; in the midst of holy week, we are safe, and when we feel lost and alone and in need, we are found by the one who can only make us truly found.  and so we continue to journey because we have no other way to go . . . one step at a time . . . through the uncertainty, and the chaos, and the pain and hurt and despair.  we are not alone.  we do not journey by ourselves; we move toward the longing in our hearts; we move toward the invitation to go deeper, to experience the newness; to live through the hopelessness, the emptiness, the shallowness of times in our life, and the warring nature of our world. 

the sun sets.  the sun rises.  we continue to walk toward the light.  easter is coming . . . easter is here!!!

and so this is easter; the fragrance of new.  the possibilities of beauty even in the midst of a world that is not perfect, and the life and the lives of those whom we love who are lost . . . they are never lost to us, if we hold them in our hearts.

the jesus that lived and taught and was crucified, is newly alive in a way that we can't fully explain.  and so we simply move from our walking to our sharing; remembering and living with the living jesus in our midst.  we can see him in the eyes of the lonely, the dying and grieving; the scared and the abused; the celebrative ones and the ones who don't even seem to care that jesus is in our midst.

our good news is that jesus cares; and because of this gracious gift of new life, we are called to care as well, no matter what!

so let me share the words of hope and remembrance and welcome that josh groban shared with us on sunday ... ok, his cd sang these words of cynthia weil, with music by james horner.  but it was the next best thing to him being here with us ... because if we remember, we live by sharing . . . and if we forget, jesus remembers.  we're covered on this journey of life, one step at a time!

Remember.  I will still be here as long as you hold me in your memory.

Remember.  When your dreams have ended, time can be transcended; just remember me.

I am the one star that keeps burning so brightly it is the last light to fade into the rising sun.
I’m with you whenever you tell my story, for I am all I’ve done
I am that warm voice in the cold wind that whispers, and if you listen you’ll hear me call across the sky --
As long as I still can reach out and touch you, then I will never die.
Remember.  I’ll never leave you, if you will only remember me.
Remember. When your dreams have ended, time can be transcended;
I live forever – remember me, remember me, remember me . . . .

May your steps through this season of easter be filled with the sharing of loving grace.

progressing through holy week . . . .

holy week; traditionally the time christians recognize between palm sunday and easter.  palm sunday begins with the triumphal entry of jesus into jerusalem with people shouting (nice words) like 'hosanna', and waving palm branches and putting blankets on the road before him as jesus rides on a donkey; various activities happen through the week -- one of which is that jesus gets mad about the money changers at the temple and causes a scene that is on the lips of the entire community in no time; this became known as 'church gossip'!

then, on thursday, things begin to heat up; the disciples, jesus' faithful following, has supper together.  jesus washes their feet and gives new meaning to this traditional passover meal celebration.  jesus tells them that this will be an ending of sorts for them; jesus is betrayed and arrested as he prays in the garden.  the church calls this maundy thursday, 'maundy' meaning commandment -- as in 'a new commandment i give you, to love one another'.

on good friday, an oxymoron if ever there was one, jesus is placed on trial, sent for sentensing, mocked and finally hung on a cross to die, known as crucifixion, and is buried before sunset.  all this because the religious authority was scared of his power!  today, we see public mud-slinging by politicians and others in the media; this isn't nearly as painful, but it gets the job done; anything to destroy another person's reputation, and thus 'kill' the public persona.

holy saturday is a time of rest and preparation.  and then on sunday, when the followers -- basically the women -- go to the tomb expecting to take respectful care of jesus' dead body, they discover that jesus is not there, just as he said; he has risen.  sounds too good to be true?  but, the reality is, this IS true!  easter becomes perhaps the biggest church day...even if you don't go to church much, you often find yourself wearing new clothes, dying boiled eggs, and heading out to brunch, where chocolate bunnies abound!

in reality, this is my holy week; i'll go out walking, spend time in my office, participate in centering prayer, read and do preparation for easter and beyond, participate in a presentation on visitation by our care provider, serve communion to a group of retired folks, and do typical office 'stuff', followed by an unusual thursday, friday and saturday. 

unusual, in the sense, that our focus for holy week will be on prayer instead of sitting in worship.  we'll 'walk' -- be it  with our feet, our fingers or on the computer -- in prayers these last days of lent as we did to  began this season, with the labyrinth.  it takes more energy and more physical/emotional/intellectual/spiritual stamina to be in prayer than it does to be in worship.  worship, for the most part, can be passive; non-participatory.  but in prayer, we become entwined with god; we become attentive to what we say and what we hear; we can become one with god at a very deep level.

holy week is not the time to be passive! this is the time to really begin to give our all in faithful service to god who has been actively involved on this journey of life with us, in the one known as jesus. 

think of holy week as the 'dancing with the stars' event of a lifetime; for those who watch that show, there is nothing more intimate, publicly at least, as dancing; you're vulnerable, passionate, in tune with the other (your partner), and the best dancers loose themselves in those dancing moments.  everyone else disappears.

so it is with deep spiritual praying.  when we are able to loose ourselves to god, and fully open up to the great possibility that we are one with the jesus in our midst -- WOW!  how powerful is that!  there isn't anything that we can't achieve (ok, i'll never be on 'dancing with the stars', but you get the idea!) with such intimacy.  we can become renewed, refreshed, revived -- receive new life (the resurrection message of easter) and, like mary, share this good news.  we become empowered to serve god and one another, helping to make life for others, and the world, just a little bit better.

so, come join us in prayer; walk the labyrinth thursday and friday; 11:30-2 and 5-7; check out our website for further information http://www.umcmerced.org/ and make this holy week a journey toward easter that you will never forget!  and why not join us in celebration on sunday at 9:30 -- welcome coffee at 9; come comfortable, or wear your new duds!  just come and join the celebration!