a new conference year . . . . finishing up the last one!

 'twas the beginning of a new conference year, and all through my picture files, old photo's kept shouting, "what are you waiting for?"  (ok, so photo's don't rhyme!)

since easter i've pondered, imagined and wondered . . . . what shall i say, what shall i do?!

the parsonage needed roofing, so that has gotten all done; no leaks; no rain; no water to leak!

at the end of two years, not all the plants have died . . . . but a later picture will show just what had to be done . . . .

san franciso kept calling . . . . when will you visit your home town?! 

but why leave paradise just to experience the fog?!

but, alas, the fog horn was too much to ignore, and so a trip after easter was in order, galore!  a quick day-trip, with a new experience of driving highway 1 . . . . a tunnel has been built, by-passing "devil's slide" . . . . what a beautiful drive up the coast for the day!

atop the de-young, with  just a slight over-cast; this allowed the two spans of the golden gate to be flashed!  (ok, well, the city IS the city of love; a little flashing from the golden gate must be permitted!)

a delight to behold, and my car was a gem; the clutch waited to break until i made it nearly home!
  

 the japanese tea garden beckoned me to visit . . . . the only place besides the ocean where the water still resides.

quiet, i could ponder; let the traffic of footsteps pass by; the amazing element of beauty in such a small honored space!

tea, of course; and crackers were needed, because, of course, i WAS on vacation!  but, a pastor is never REALLY on vacation . . . . a word to the wise:  turn off ALL electric devices so as not to be over-whelmed by things better left un-read!

still, one finds the peace if one really strives to see.

and so, contemplation has turned into a sermon series for the summer!  god has a sense of humor . . . . even on vacation!

but such a rewarding place to contemplate; could it be replicated?!

 returning home, i found i didn't have a tea garden, but a spiritual haven in my own (parsonage) back yard!

dorothy may have had ruby slippers, but she didn't have the effects of santa cruz!

upon my return, there has been business to tend; exciting future plans to contemplate and ponder.  always pondering; always something new; always amazing, isn't that true for you, too?!

so take time to ponder; relax and be amazed!  always something more to do; but plan a play- day too!  yes, i'm still walking; the employee well-being challenge of june is now completed; the united methodist church representatives placed 29th out of 55 corporate sponsors, and i placed 8,783 out of 41,600 walkers and runners . . . . not that i'm competitive; but i do need a new pair of shoes, now!

july first marks the beginning of a new conference year; i've finished up the last one, and i'm starting a-new!  santa cruz is sunny, on this first day of our third year together; it's quiet in the office but there is much yet to do.  and alas, not in the far too distance to the east, a lighthouse still calls (not a fog-horn as in the city, but one could almost here it cry!) . . . . its light a reminder that while it may help to light a way for safety, WE at the united methodist church of santa cruz, are called to be the light of justice and of peace, and that in the midst of this new year, we are to carry the torch that says "love is love", no matter what!

so join us at 10:45 on any given sunday . . . . and join us on july 19th, when we're having a bbq . . . . with a discussion about what we plan to be; how we plan to be; and how love will shine thru . . . . be our guest, if you are able; just let your love shine thru!

palm ~ passion sunday . . . and you're invited!

palm ~ passion sunday is tomorrow, march 29th, 2015 . . . and you are invited to attend.

james has made it possible for us to have some long, billowy palms ... who knew!  we actually have a palm tree on our property!

and so the setting is ready; we'll experience the triumphal entry of jesus into jerusalem, and we will sing familiar and maybe a not-so-familiar piece of music; we'll hear the steel drums play and experience an anthem from the music team ... followed by the story of how our hearts were moved with the selfless love of another.

come and let yourself be moved, and allow your spiritual journey to deepen.  and be revived to act in ways of justice and peace in the week ahead.  check out our website www.umcsantacruz.org

or join us at 10:45 am at the United Methodist Church of Santa Cruz  250 California St.  95060

i close with this jewish tale from sunday's message, which i've been asked to share ~ ~ ~

an angel of heaven was looking down upon the earth one day, having compassion for all the people.

the people of the earth seemed to suffer so much.

the angel summoned up the courage, and with hands trembling, asked God for control of the earth for one year.

god granted the angel's request.

the angel erases sin and suffering, decay and death.

but the bread the people eat tasted like clay in their mouths, and turned to dust in their hands.

the angel knew failure and collapsed at god's feet at the end of the year.

then god said, 'behold, a truth which has been known to me from the beginning of time; a truth too deep and dreadful for your delicate, generous hands, my sweet apprentice.

it is this:  that the earth must be nourished with decay and covered with shadows, so that its seeds may bring forth the harvest.

so it is this truth; that souls must be made fertile with flood and sorrow, that through them a great work may be born....'

may you know sorrow enough to grow strong in the grace that is the gift of life . . . .

the journey . . . is our home

i learned a long time ago:  life isn't always about the destination; life is about the journey.  the journey . . . is our home!

this picture was taken one night after our music team practiced; the sky from our parking lot.  it was a beautiful sky, and a beautiful night.  imagine being totally in the moment in this time, rather than being caught up in the worries for which we can generally do nothing about ... except saving up for taxes, which has been one of my lenten disciplines this year -- who knew NOT being a homeowner could be SO EXPENSIVE?!

Alas, this really is a 'first world problem', and so i tell myself, "don't worry ... just be on the journey!


One of the workshops I attended recently was put on by hospice of santa cruz county . . . entitled 'partners in caring: a seminar for faith leaders on end-of-life care.

so many wonderful things hospice provides ... including care and supportive care for everyone within the county!  did you know, for instance, that you can attend a grief support group through hospice, even if you did not have someone actively die through hospice?  and they provide all kinds of resources which can be very helpful for the living, the surviving, and they dying!  thought about your end of life plan?  this can be very helpful to you and to your family/friends who will care for you!

this cymbidium came from the plant i gave my mother, which has now returned to me; it only had two stems this year ... BUT, they have lasted the longest of any year!


 ironically, this is the only bloom i am likely to get from the numerous iris bulbs i have planted; many people have shared that a drought does that.  we were lucky enough to have early rains, but unfortunate enough not to have them continue much into the new year.  ironically, it turns out, this is the perfect time of the year to replace a roof . . . the parsonage roof is due for a new roof, so, that will be an easter gift! 

even so, this iris has been a welcome reminder that even singularly, we are blessed with a great gift of beauty!  while flowers in the garden have been in short supply, the yellow flowers of clover oats have been in abundance!  they are easy enough to pull so that other plants don't get chocked by them, but they leave their little bulbs in the ground -- a guarantee that next year, i will be blessed with them again!

one of the great concerns (worry, even, perhaps!) of this winter was this beautiful little tree at the parsonage.  without much water, this tree really had to have roots that searched for nourishment . . . and one day, while just driving out the garage, i noticed color!  i was so excited, i stopped the car and just drank in the moment.

and so, lent is coming to an end; the dormant is being awakened, and what lay dying surprisingly is finding new life ... perhaps even in my soul as well.  how about you?  are you finding renewal after this winter?  have you a sense of new life this spring?  how is the journey of life going for you?

if you are needing a spiritual 'tune-up', come spend some time at the coast this week, and join us for a variety of worship activities that can renew you on your journey . . . home!

ashes to ashes ... dust to dust ... this is the reality of life . . . .

today begins ash wednesday;  the season of lent, when the christian faithful spend time in reflection and renewal of their spiritual practices. . . ashes to ashes ... dust to dust ... this it the reality of life.

we offer three services today; one at 7 am (for the 'before work crowd'), one at 12:30 (for the 'lunch crowd'), and one at 6 pm (for the 'OMG i almost forgot crowd').  we remember who we are, and why we are here; and this year i am inviting folks to spend time focusing on their prayer life -- learn a psalm that speaks to you -- explore how it speaks to you and learn it well enough that you 'know it'; allow that psalm/prayer to guide you on your journey . . . and let that prayer respond to your life and the neighbors whom you pass during your journey.  each of us is a living prayer . . . .

someone on facebook commented that california is perhaps too cold yet to have poppies flowering.  he said they are blooming in kentucky!  well, here on the coast with the rains we have had (and, of course, we need more!) but we have one lone (but new) blooming poppy in our church yard.  we did some new landscaping in the fall, and have been rewarded by the gift of  'a blooming flower'.  it is overcast today, and i don't suspect it will bloom much bigger until the sun comes out, but none-the-less, a poppy!

people have passed by and noticed how the church building is looking!  we are alive and active, and it looks as though folks live and serve here; and there is no better invitation than to at least have your building look welcoming!  of course, the BEST invitation is the old-fashioned way ... 'come and see' . . . .

following the storm last week-end, the monday was beautiful and the waves were quite active . . . not a surfer in sight!  but the sea did roar, and, so it seemed, the entire community came to see the power and might of the pacific. 

this picture will be part of our lenten journey.  some of you may recall the noah story in genesis chapter 9 ... another ashes to ashes, dust to dust story -- only this time it was with water!  the promise of god was to never again destroy the earth by flood.  i found in my files, two rainbows from my children's art collection; they are ratty and faded, but they will be a great reminder of the covenant for sunday's children's message . . . .   we've struggled with weather patterns again this year, but each day is a gift ... that's something worth remembering!  and there is nothing like the crash of the waves to remember that there is life more powerful than us!

 as a pastor, it is so difficult to go anywhere and not think about the possibility of a sermon illustration!  so, while i was away in palm springs, one of the high desert areas of california, the beauty of this area was evident.  so, also during lent there will be pictures of palm canyon, including the many windmills that generate power in that area. 

these are powerful images for us -- a reminder that humanity is not the most powerful, but to use our power responsibly; to care for those who are not able to care for themselves -- and to empower them until they are able to live on their own; to speak for those whose voices have been silenced by cruel circumstances; and to find the heart of peace within ourselves, and to extend that peace in loving ways to others throughout the world, one person at a time . . . .

ashes to ashes ... dust to dust ... this is the reality of life.  it took a month to have mom's memorial graveside service.  it was a family affair; not everyone was able to attend.  but her remains will reside next to dad's remains in front of their headstone marked #13 at the golden gate national cemetery in san bruno.  the flag was flown at half-staff that day, honoring the veterans and their families.  we shared memories, hugs, and tears; laughter and flowers and the recollection of the powerful wind that never seems to cease in that cemetery. 

ashes to ashes ... dust to dust ... this is the reality of life. . . . be loving to one another!
 

mom . . . august to december . . . 2nd to 30th . . . 88 years

as i share with the congregations with whom i serve, "word has reached us...."  and so that word came to me last night about my mother having died.

in her time, she moved from arkansas to bakersfield to san francisco to daly city to walnut creek to south san francisco to millbrae . . . and now to the golden gate national cemetery, in earned with dad on that spiral hill, #13 .  good natured in these last years; everybody like her (really!); even with health issues up the ying-yang, she had a funny little chuckle, euva jean did; in school the gym teacher called her pease.  but she was mom.

we lived through challenging times, as many family systems do, but she kept going.  she retired from i magnin ... classy and knowledgeable in that sense; known to make mock enchiladas, red velvet cake, and 'garbage soup' from the wonderful left-overs in the refrigerator.  she'd hum tunes, read, and was always doing housework -- can a house get that dusty in just a week?!  she'd always want to know 'the reason' for everything . . . . and the reason could often displease her.  she shared and also withheld; probably not unlike the women in her family before her.
but, she was mom.  i'll never have another. 
      

mom and dad were married until his untimely death in 1982; but this picture of them is a favorite from one of those church pictorial directories that were done at temple united methodist church in san francisco in the 1960's, when dad had hair and mom wore her hair in a french twist.  she would wear this green dress on special occasions, with a jade pendent and matching earrings, and 'glass slippers' (so I called them); she'd paint her nails, apply ponds cold cream a touch of something around the eyes and lipstick, and away they'd go.

relatives would come to visit sf in it's hay-day, and i'm sure tell stories about going to height-ashbury; they'd cook together; rode the jitney to bart together, and made plans to retire together.  but those plans never materialized, and from that point on, mom seemed to exist, but never really live. . . .  at 88, mom was truly the 'older woman' by six months from dad.

so you do all the things you do at this time; alert the family, make arrangements for the graveside service....and then i realize, i'll probably be doing that service . . . . mom's service; i do it for others -- why not mom?!

honestly, i've grieved for mom in so many ways for so many years.  it is the complication of a family system that not always embraces diversity.  and so one learns to live with the reality and create a more welcoming place -- of self, and others.  john wesley would call this 'going onto perfection'.  we're confess to strive for perfection in this lifetime.  i do believe there are 'perfect moments'.  we even had some when i was growing up.

when mom got to a point where speech did not make sense to my listening ear, i'd simply listen to her story, knowing it must make sense -- probably to her!  but, none-the-less, she was happy and well cared for, and those are two elements in this world that are not always the care.  and then i'd be heading out the door and she'd say, clear as a bell, 'good-bye; i love you'.  and that's what you hold onto.  love in its vast forms. . . .

so, here's to mom; euva jean pease pierce august 2nd to december 30th . . . . 88 years; what a life!
   

now i see red . . . in advent!

 
 

one of the odd things that happened when we refreshed our sanctuary last year was the color scheme changed, and now the various purples that we have for advent are all wrong.  it's a terribly 'first world' problem to have . . . . what to do, what to do!

so, we discovered red!  and now i see RED in advent, not purple.  but, ya know, i think i'm growing fond of it.  we've decorated the sanctuary in a simple way; tree and wreaths, some banners, the nativity and the advent wreath.

our gift for ministry which arrives today is a new piano; and with that new piano, we have an idea in mind to extend our sanctuary into the community.  we're very excited about the possibilities!

so on this day of the celebration -- the festival of lights -- i've made sure to include the image in my home.  the parsonage, where 'the parson' lives, has a beautiful picture window, that is just perfect for either a tree (did that last year!) or candlelight (did that this year!)  the light provides a warm glow which reminds me each time i return home at night, that this is the season to extend hope, peace, joy and love into the world.  don't you just love flameless candles with timers?!  they are my new love!

as i sit in my office, another storm of the season is fast approaching.  after years of drought, we have had a goodly amount of rain, and i'm not tired of it yet!  and, a gentle reminder that we don't have enough water to be wasting any, so, be mindful of your care for water!

for those of you who know i've nearly always got my pedometer on me for virgin health (or is it FROM virgin health) . . . no matter, my point is, i participated in their 'turkey trim' event that lasted about 14 days over the thanksgiving holiday and into advent.  and for those sports fans keeping score, i placed 245th out of the 2,700 +/- participants.  our colleague judson placed as one of the 1st place participants; he and i are also participating in the 'daily challenge' for your health.  i have to say, this health stuff is gonna kill me!

i may not get back to my blog before year's end, so i want to share a couple of reflections from the advent/christmas letter is shared with the congregation.  feel free to substitute your spiritual understanding for the word/concept 'christian'.  this season has a focus, and it isn't on the shopping!!!  may these thoughts guide you on your journey as you help to share hope, peace, joy and love with everyone you meet -- and even those whom you do not know . . . .

"the coming of advent jolts us out of the ordinary with the invasive news that it's time to think about fresh possibilities for deliverance and human wholeness."  (patricia e. dejong).
"all of us, men and women, are included in mary's and eizabeth's time of expectancy, calling us together in partnership with god in god's plan for this world . . . .  we are all uniquely made in the image of god, meaning that we are to see god in one another and are called to say yes to justice for all." (trisha lyons senterfitt)
"if we are paying attention, we recognize too that god is in the ordinary moments of our life -- in the making of lunches and the folding of laundry, in daily kisses good-bye, in the moment when we look into the eyes of one whom the world considers unlovely at best and unworthy of notice at worst.  it is why we aim to live the christian life by not only talking about it or thinking about it, but by doing it -- why our prayers are not only those of the heart, but those of the hands and feet." (Kimberly bracken long)

for those looking for a christmas eve service, and for those who are curious about what christmas eve is all about, we welcome you to join us as we celebrate: wednesday evening, december 24th, at 7 pm.  www.umcsantacruz.org

the picture, below, depicts what happens after a storm here on the coast; this was the beautiful depiction of the sky from our parking lot.  how fortunate i am to share this time with you!  blessings to your celebrating and your sharing and your receiving . . . love!
  

signs of the times . . . autuman 2014

these are the signs of the times . . . for autumn 2014.  some people claim california doesn't have a colorful fall . . . but this colorful tree is within 1,000 feet of the parsonage where i live!  true, this may not seem like the east coast with all the colorful foliage we see in pictures and in the movies, but none-the-less, this is our autumn. 

i was just walking along doing my daily exercise, and there was this perfect picture of fall.  how often do any of us simply walk outside our front door to see the signs of the season?!

rumor has it we may get two days of rain beginning tomorrow; we are desperate for the signs of this changing drought . . . .

we have had a very outdated sign at the church for some time.  it was actually 'white-out-ed' and looked a fright.  then then lights got repaired and it really looked tragic.  we had been thinking of replacing said sign since may, but ran into a glitch.

for many years, we have been acting as a reconciling congregation; a church that welcomes all people, not matter their age, ethnicity, orientation, or abilities; a place focused on justice and service and even a little 'green', where we offer open hearts, minds, and doors.

we voted in august to (re)affirm our stance, and now we have a new sign that incorporates that message, along with the diversity we represent!

 while walking from bookstore santa cruz past the library, this beautiful hibiscus was in full bloom; such a sign of the times!  very close to the downtown library is a whole selection of beautiful hibiscus and roses.  do you have a library card?  do you take advantage of such services in your community?

i have a colleague who says it is the first thing to be done when moving into a new community; that way you can really settle in and feel a part of the community.  i must have gotten mine within the first few weeks here, and have used it 'religiously' ever-since!  there is always something to learn and read-up on!  and besides, then you can peek at the beautiful things your community has to offer!

moving from downtown to west cliff, another one of the signs of the time is the ocean that invites surfers!  the waves call to you whether you surf or not!  on this particular day, the autumn weather could not have been more perfect, and the surfers were out in force!

i do try and see a glimpse of the water every day; the sound of the churning waters as the waves crash against the shore.  on monday, i even walked the boardwalk where they are making repairs and expanding the walkways in preparation for the anticipated crowds in the summer.  maintenance is also a part of the sign of the times.  be it roadwork on highway 17, or the paving of the streets here in town, there are always signs . . . .

 and speaking of signs, isn't this a great picture?!  i love that someone is so creative as to bring tools to play in the sand and create such a beautiful image!  to be so thoughtful and prepared as to think about what you wanted to do in the sand!  and then to know that what you've created would be washed away at some point in the day, or walked upon or 'wiped out' . . . a willingness to let go of what you've created, is a true gift of the heart and a talent worth sharing.  when i returned from my walk, this masterpiece had been finished and the artist was walking away.  but i share with you this 'work in progress, because it is a reminder of the sign of the times . . . .'

not far from where this creative sand artist was working is a house in progress.  imagine in this day and age, building a house that will face the ocean, with a guarantee of having no one build across the street?!   truly, this is a sign of the times.  for it wasn't that long ago when you could still build on the ocean side of california highway 1.  who knows how long the coast will stay before erosion causes an issue for those houses.  but for the time being, and for a price i don't even want to imagine, a house is being built.  below is the view they'll have from their window! 

even so, i still get to walk across the street, and i'm thrilled to be able to live within walking distance of the pacific ocean!  so, truly, these are the signs of the time . . . . come walk the coast with me . . . .