thanks for your patience--nothing really new

Over twenty plus years in ministry I can glance at the calendar and see that the first two weeks of October tend to be the busiest of the year, in that almost every denominational, congregational, community, personal event takes place here. It is all good, and includes time for seeing people that one only rarely encounters otherwise. It does cut into reflective time for original blogging, however, so I hope you will visit later. I do have a prayer for the U.S. presidential election posted on the Worship page of the General Board of Discipleship (UMC), and I will post today's sermon soon, which focused on faith, fear and the financial crisis. I have just returned from the organizational meeting of the United Methodist Church's General Board of Higher Education and Ministry in Nashville, where I will begin a second four year term, and early this week I will attend two days of the Duke Divinity School convocation (it is my twenty-fifth class reunion, I will get to see our older daughter in Chapel Hill, and Ronald Heifitz of Harvard is speaking, so it should be both fun and enlightening). Again, may the grace and peace of the Lord be with you, and come back soon!