Happiness is not a matter of intensity
but of balance, order, rhythm and harmony.
-- Thomas Merton

Sunday, August 7, 2011

Western Plains District Conference


I haven't written much on my blog this summer. But it is one my favorite things to do. I am going to try to do more of my favorite things!

I am in Kansas. I traveled here for the Western Plains District Conference. I don't usually go to other District Conferences but the Moderator asked me to bring the Sunday morning message. The theme was Until Christ is Formed in Us. The worship center was a picture of a laughing Jesus. If you looked closely enough you can see that it is made up of over 70 faces. It was incredible.
I left very early Friday morning so that I could land in Wichita by 2 p.m. My goal was to get to McPherson in time to take my father to the Ministers' Dinner. I made it. Then we went to evening worship. A hymn sing before worship was accompanied by accordion and guitar. It was fabulous. The Moderator, Bob Dell preached. He did a good job laying out the theme he had chosen for the weekend.
Saturday I didn't go to the Conference. I spent the evening with my sister and some of her family. I love being with family.
I find the sunsets in Kansas so amazing. I think it is the clouds and the wide open horizons. This picture was taken on my sister's farm.
Today is Sunday and I preached at the McPherson Church of the Brethren on Transformational Kinship. My sermon was inspired by Father Greg Boyle's sermon at ULV Baccalaureate this year. In his book Tattoos on the Heart, Boyle writes: "Serving others is good. It’s a start. But it is just the hallway that leads to the Grand Ballroom. Kinship—not serving the other, but being one with the other." I think the Brethren often get caught in the hallway of service. If we truly understood ourselves as kin we wouldn't have to talk about inclusion because there would be no "them."

After the sermon I found my father and told him I was proud to be his daughter. He said, "I am proud to be your father." Coming from a man that usually can only say the words yes, no and I don't know I felt overwhelmed to hear his words.

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