Houston-bound

I've arrived in Houston for part three of a three part course on Bowen Theory, aka Family Systems Theory. This is one of the final events of my sabbatical. (That was sure strange to write, as this time has gone so fast.)

According to something I read, Houston is the third largest city in the U.S., behind New York and Los Angeles. Who would've thunk? This is a very busy city, and even those who live in the suburbs are zipping from one place to the next. The people who are hosting me here are so generous. They are part of University Baptist Church, and they have become new friends to me. I would love to have them up to my neck of the woods sometime.

I'm reminiscing a bit now about the sabbatical. There were a few events that changed the trajectory and made it difficult to focus on what I wanted to, but the hidden gift was a strong reconnection with my own family and times of quiet for renewal. I had an epiphany the other day about renewal. It was a primary goal of my sabbatical (Renewal, Research, Reflection). The epiphany is that I can't say to myself "tomorrow I will be renewed." That is just a new law. Rather, I found out that a space for renewal needed to be given, with the hope that renewal will come about by the Spirit of God in Christ, and according to a timeframe and growth rate that that I was not in control over. It has been God's time to deal with me, to nurture a seed that had been planted long ago, to build up faith and the language of faith in me.

I'm heading back toward home on Thursday, and then it will be time to get ready for going back into ministry with this congregation called St. Paul.

Wallowa Preachers' Workshop

I've come home now from a time of community and learning at Wallowa Lake OR. My friend JJ Dygert and I brought a good friend from Des Moines Iowa to help us in remembering the task and opportunity of preaching. One other pastor, and a seminarian soon entering the call process, joined us to make a small group. We had a lot of conversation about our call, our role in the church as those who proclaim the Gospel publicly, and we each looked at scripture passages for the upcoming weeks.

It was such a great time of fellowship with families as well. We rode the tram at the lake. We did bumper boats, the kids played mini-golf, and we poked around the shops of Joseph for a while on the last day.

From Wallowa we went to Milton-Freewater to be with Pastor Dygert and family. Our friend Ken Jones, the teacher for the week, preached to us about the Sower and the Seeds (it's not so easy assuming we're "good seeds" is it?), and I saw him off this morning as he flies back home to be with his family.

I thank God for long-distance connections where we remember that we have remained close. Close in the Spirit of Christ. Christ draws us together and speaks through us to those who need a freeing and redeeming Word. That's what this week was all about.

Honeycombs

What are the honeycombs? I hadn't known about them until this summer. To get there, you can drive through Succor Creek campground south of Adrian, and then up those rolling hills and past Three Finger Butte. Then just park and hike in the general direction of Owyhee Reservoir.

It's not quite so random as that. We had a GPS unit with us. It was a day hike and I enjoyed myself thoroughly, minus the overheating I experienced. That was an embarrassment.

The "Honeycombs." They earned their name, sharing the same color and being pocked with the results of erosion. At a distance, we saw Dry Creek on the reservoir, with its cabins. A peaceful, stark scene.

We saw the creek below us, but had a hard time figuring out how to get down from these heights. Deserves a return trip. Crazily enough, we saw the remains of an old corral way up there, wedged between the rocks. it was an amazing sight, and I wondered who would have the strength and patience to get materials into that remote place.

There were wild horses and a few other critters, and many songbirds. Also there were wildflowers that were unfamiliar to me. Day hike require a bit of planning, but much less than hiking trips. They are a great way to get out and enjoy this wonder that we humans call "creation."