Pastor Gen - Final Thoughts from a Sabbatical

Elevator stuck on the 19th floor — notice, no buttons to choose floors.

Dear Veradale Friends,

It’s the last day of our sabbatical. I look forward to hearing from you how ,with the help of the Holy Spirit and Pastor Roger, you have come to know more about the seeds of our communities strengthens for our mission as a community of faith.

The gallery I have for you this week is filled with pictures from my iPhone. Sometimes these were pictures to send back to Henry and Hana. Sometimes they were pictures taken because people would ask if we could get a “selfie” together. Many times they were pictures taken because I needed the extra wide angle lens that is on our phones.

Thoughts and Reflections

During this sabbatical, I have faced some of my fears and learned a lot. One of those fears is captured in the picture at the top of this letter.

That was me stuck in the elevator on the 19th floor of the government building where the press met for the World Council of Churches. It was the day before the conference began and I was wandering the route for the journalists. The elevator in the photo had only a button to open the doors, another to close the doors, and one to sound the alarm. The needed floor had to be entered into a console which would be followed by an elevator door opening to take the person to the desired destination.

In the picture, I was on the 19th floor and the doors would not open. The note on the wall said to press the alarm for 3 seconds and someone would answer. I did that. No one answered. I waited and tried again. No one answered. I did this a couple more times. It sounded like someone was trying to answer. So, I waited more. Nothing. I pressed again. Nothing. I determined that this was taking too long so I would just press the alarm button until someone finally talked to me. That worked. They would send someone in 5 minutes and asked that I not press the alarm again. Okay. In about 5 minutes a man was outside the doors. He could not do the repair but would wait with me until the technician arrived. He said that would be in another 5 minutes. In about 3 minutes I asked if the guy was still there. Yes, he was. Okay. The repair person arrived and said he would have me out in 5 minutes (I have no idea why everything was 5 minutes). When he started working, the elevator dropped to the 7th floor. Yes, that was dropped and bounced. Then up to 15. Down to 6. Up to 8, down to 2 — bouncing each time. I just wanted the door to open on any floor. It went down to the ground floor and the doors opened. I was out of there. I told the woman waiting for an elevator not to take that one because it was crazy.

I wrote the director of the press conferences to let her know what happened and to ask if we had to be at the meetings on the 19th floor in person. She said that we could go remotely for most things but not all. It wasn’t long before I had to go back to the 19th floor. The only consolation was that there were more people in the building.

If learning means being challenged and facing experiences that are outside one’s comfort zone, well, then I have learned more than I could have guessed. What about you, dear church? How has this sabbatical experience been surprising, challenging, or inspiring?

In the parable of the Sower and the Seed in Matthew 13:1-9, we understand the seeds to symbolize the message of Jesus and the soil to be us. What if we hear the sower as ourselves and the seeds are our strengths, ideas, hopes, faith, dreams, relationships, and endeavors as we practice this way of Jesus? This sabbatical has been a time to reflect on those kind of seeds. Some seeds (strengths, ideas, hopes, faith, dreams, relationships and endeavors) have grown. Some have fallen where the environment wasn’t ready for them. Some new seeds ( strengths, ideas, hopes, faith dreams, relationships and endeavors) have been found or rediscovered. Frequently, we are afraid to try something because we are afraid that something may go wrong. If we remember the sower, there is a confidence that with continued scattering of seeds, sure, some won’t work out but it is worth it to keep trying for the ones that do grow.

Well, while metaphors are limited, I look forward to learning more about what you have found out about the seeds of strengths for our shared ministry. Are there fears that still need to be faced?

May we gather soon to share some of what we have each experienced!

With blessings,

Pastor Gen

Pastor Gen - Thoughts from a Sabbatical #13

dandelion in New Zealand

Dear Veradale Friends,

It’s almost November. Wow! From this Sunday, it is only 15 days more before I am back in the office. I look forward to learning what you all have experienced about being a congregation and I have much to share about all that I have experienced and learned.

The image above is from my last day in New Zealand. I looked for wildflowers everywhere I traveled and I found dandelions in each country to be abundant. I think that Jesus might have meant "have faith like a dandelion seed" instead of mustard seed if he had seen this mighty, little plant. Think about how those little seeds must have been caught in the wind to arrive in such far off places!

Thoughts and Reflections:

As all Hallows Eve, October 31 moves into All Saints’ Day, November 1, we directly or indirectly are considering our relationship with death. A long time ago, an elder told me something like, “We spend more time dead than we will spend alive so we must live each day making the world a better place.” I understood what she meant was that we need to be intentional about living so that - like dandelion seeds — the world can be covered with kindness, justice, and the peace that comes though this way of Jesus.

As we enter the season of Thanksgiving, I can imagine our gratitude being sent out into the world like dandelion seeds. We let them go in the wind of the Spirit to grow where they can.

Douglas Wood has written several books. One we read in church a few years ago is his story “Old Turtle.” It is such a wonderful story about how there can be many ways to experience God through our own life experiences.Recently, I was introduced to another of his books. It is titled “The Secret of Saying Thanks." As we enter the month of Thanksgiving, here is a quote from this book:

“The heart that gives thanks is a happy one, for we cannot feel thankful and unhappy at the same time. The more we say thanks, the more we find to be thankful for. And the more we find to be thankful for, the happier we become. We don't give thanks because we're happy. We are happy because we give thanks.”

When thinking of my gratitudes as dandelion seeds of thanks, they are abundant and my heart full of happiness. For years I have closed each night and begun each morning with a prayer of thanks. I find myself adding to that prayer through out the day.

Among the thanksgivings I have sent out during this sabbatical are prayers of gratitude for:

- The small and mighty Veradale UCC. There is a sweet, sweet Spirit in this community of faith.

- The holy gift of Pastor Roger’s time and talent to be with us through this sabbatical experience.

- The gift of the leaders, Wayne, Jerry, Joe, Gregg, Charlie, Diane, Don, Marvin, Michael, Sam, Karla, Cherall Anne, Sue, Stephany, Louise, Becky, Maureen, Naomi, Scotty, and all those who support them in following where they lead.

- The blessing of the ancestors who built our church, the building and importantly, the ideals of an inclusive community. They made a way for us so that we could make a way for others to live practicing this way of Jesus.

- The honor of knowing my smart, kind kids

- The blessings of friends and family.

And then the gratitudes for home, food, shelter, and health to be able to help others have the same.

During this season of Thanksgiving, I’m thinking of Douglas Wood’s words, "We don't give thanks because we're happy. We are happy because we give thanks.”

May that happiness be yours! As the apostle Paul wrote: "Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.” Colossians 3:15-16

With gratitude,

Pastor Gen

Pastor Gen - Thoughts from a Sabbatical #12

Dear Veradale Friends,

It has been another meaningful week of sabbatical. I have been able to virtually attend two very full days of the once a year conference of Adobe Max. Adobe is the company that makes PhotoShop, Lightroom, and so much more. Because of the gift of this sabbatical, I learned that they are offering a program to non-profits for free that will help us create more engaging social media announcements, posters, and advertisements. I attended two of the presentations on how to use this resource and am still learning how we might use it to better reach out beyond our doors.

I finished another article for The Fig Tree this week from my time at the World Council of Churches. The column developed out of an interview with the Rev. Dr. Karen Georgia Thompson, our Associate General Minister and Vice-President for Wider Church Ministries and Co-Executive for Global ministries of our United Church of Christ. Our national staff are exceptionally talented people and you will get to know more about the Rev. Dr. Thompson in the next Fig Tree News.

Reflections and Thoughts

Early in the week, I received and email saying that it was from a UCC pastor I know. They needed “a favor.” They needed money and gift cards for a noble cause. I knew my colleague would never write such a letter and quickly got a note from the real pastor saying that indeed it was not from them.

About three days later, I got the text from Wayne that someone was impersonating me in an email. Scotty also wrote me and forwarded the email. I then wrote to you all with words of caution.

Maybe you remember the first time this happened to us. It was during the deep times of the Covid shut down. The person had even taken images from our church website to make it look like it was from me. At the time, I was so shocked that I reported the emails and activity to the identity theft agency.

What I learned was that people can make email addresses with any name, after all, there could be other people with the same name. It crosses the line when someone pretends to be you, however, there is little that can be done to find them.

The one thing that can be done, when it is a gmail address they are using, is to report it to Google which may freeze that imposters use of the email address. If it happens to you go to https://support.google.com/mail/contact/abuse?hl=en

Sadly, the actions of thieves, even those who email us, cause us to loose trust. Sometimes we loose trust in ourselves to recognize when it is a thief (they are clever). We then withdraw, get discouraged, and feel defeated.

Sometimes the experience causes us to loose trust in others, seeing everyone as a person who might be out to do us harm. This also makes us withdraw, feel anxious, and on guard.

I think about when Jesus sent his disciples out into the world In the Gospel of Matthew 10:16. He instructed them saying, “I am sending you out like sheep into the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.”

Be wise as serpents — be alert and aware. We each have strength while also being innocent as doves -- keeping our connection with one another. We are stronger in our flock.

Let us be alert and aware and find ways to build a community where we can connect and grow. We may sometimes feel like sheep among wolves but these Veradale sheep are as wise as serpents and as innocent as doves!

With blessings,

Pastor Gen

The new gallery will be up soon!