Sunday at St. Columba's - Boothbay Harbor, ME

It was a great morning at St. Columba's Boothbay Harbor, ME with the wonderful welcoming folks and their rector, a seminary buddy, the Rev. Maria Hoecker. Ironically it was Maria's last Sunday at St. Columba's prior to her sabbatical. She was able to score a Lily foundation grant for clergy renewal and will be gone for 4 months. I am happy for her and hope to follow her travels to Iona, Scotland, and England where she will retreat and engage in a study of Celtic spirituality.

   
I said that I wanted to pay attention and reflect on how I was received at different locations. The people at St. Columba's didn't know I was coming, nor did they know I was a priest. I wanted to blend in and be a visitor. I don't get to do that very often. It kind of scares me a bit... I was greeted with a warm smile and a welcome, the greeter/usher asked me where I was from. Like Trinity, they have "hand written" name tags so no one is isolated. However, they have a neat idea and have ones that have been "hand written" and reusable so there is no need to make a new one each week. This would be a good money saver for Trinity! 

I was a bit surprised when I walked in... very unconventional setup! It was a casual setting with tables everywhere. Then I heard them say something about how the tables were set up because the service was going to be immediately followed by a farewell luncheon for Maria. So, this wasn't a normal set up, but it worked. Typically the chairs are arranged in different way in different season for different worship purposes. This is a great modern liturgical feature for this young parish. The service was a conventional BCP Eucharist, Prayer C, spiced up with some music from the Iona community. They transferred the feast of St. Columba from June 9 to celebrate it today for the send off. I found the lack of Prayerbooks interesting, but it was ok because the entire text was in the bulletin. During the luncheon, a priest (sorry, don't remember his name) performed an original song about St. Columba. It was fantastic!

I found St. Columba's is an active parish that has healthy strong lay leadership. They were wonderful to worship with, even though it was a bit casual for my personal preference. I felt welcomed and included!

Maria's sermon today was taken from the Gospel lesson according to Matthew 10:24-39, especially the portion as it relates to fear. Jesus said, "“So have no fear of them; for nothing is covered up that will not be uncovered, and nothing secret that will not become known. What I say to you in the dark, tell in the light; and what you hear whispered, proclaim from the housetops. Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. And even the hairs of your head are all counted. So do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows." (NRSV)

Being completely honest, I fear walking into a new place for the first time. Now, most people know how extroverted I am, but only after the first experience. This made me realize that my extroversion may be masking my fear...  Hmmm... I need to think about that more. 

After the wonderful lunch at St. Columba's and some time with Maria, Chloe, and Max, I rode a loop around southern Maine. From Boothbay Harbor to Portland and back to Lewiston. Shout out to Kathleen, Cindy, Mark and all the J2A pilgrims from 2015... You will recognize something in the video! ;-)


Challenge to Self: I need to think more about what I am afraid of and then own it, name it, and let it go. (Thanks, Maria)

Challenge to Trinity: What do we fear as a parish or community? When we welcome others into our fellowship, are they afraid of us at first? Even if they don't seem so, do we make the effort to get to know them and who they are? Think about what our "hospitality" ministry might involve - newcomer welcome groups, greeters, fellowship hosts, etc...

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This Week!

Missouri on Route 66

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Today (Friday) I road across the state of Missouri, from St. Louis to Joplin. Yesterday evening in St. Louis, it was nice to have dinner with a friend (Kelly Saveika) that I haven't seen since we were in high school. We have know each other since elementary school. Life has taken us in different directions, and we keep up on Facebook, but for a couple of hours it was good to connect in person. Tomorrow I get to meet up with my former college roommate, Bill Fankhauser. Bill and I went to the Citadel together (Regimental Band - Class of 89). He and his wife have invited me to spend the weekend with them. So I ride tomorrow from Joplin, MO, through the little corner of Kansas to Oklahoma City, OK. Connecting with friends from years ago really enlightens the journey. It's not just the road that I am on... It's not just the old towns and the interesting countryside of things from what was once the "mother road." It's the people... the lives of those who make up my
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Ohio!

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The last couple of days have been interesting! I left Niagara Falls on Thursday 6/29 and rode to central Ohio where I stayed at Lake Wapusun Campground in Shreve, OH that is run by my wife's cousins, Mark & Lisa Everitt. The night there was rough!! Right after I made camp, a storm front came through about 8:30pm and it RAINED and THUNDERED until 7:00am. My little 2 person REI tent is a CHAMP! I emerged nice and dry. However, I had to pack wet again. (It seems like it's becoming routine!) -  see the reflection on packing wet       Nonetheless, the ride to Toledo on 6/30 was outstanding! The weather was not too hot, not too cool, not raining. I rode to Signature Harley Davidson, where I met up with General Manager, Kris Friar (another of Kelly's cousins). I was able to spend the evening with Kris and she took me to Tony Packo's, a famous Hungarian Food place in Toledo, OH. I stayed over at Kris' and left the next morning. Guess what... another storm came th
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God's Paintbrush!

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Today, I experienced the unexpected! I knew that the Petrified Forest and Painted Desert were in Arizona, but I didn't know where. Who knew they were on Route 66. In fact, I learned that Route 66 once went right through the Petrified Forest prior to it becoming a National Park and protected by the US Government. The ride in from Albuquerque, NM was great! I crossed the NM continental divide at 7200 feet.   I took a "detour" through the National Park and drove down to where 180 goes into Holbrook. It was beautiful. The pictures really don't do it justice. The colors were vivid. It really looked like God took out the paintbrush and said, "I think I will add some color here in the middle of nowhere!" I can really feel the climate changing. It's getting much warmer. I am looking forward to this weekend! I will be in Kingman, AZ and plan to see some folks that I haven't seen in a very long time! My thoughts for today are on the glimmers of grace
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Down to the South East Corner of Washington

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It's Tuesday (8/1) and I am officially 1/2 way (6 weeks) into my sabbatical. Today I rode from Winthrop, WA down to the South East Corner of the state, Clarkeston, WA. It was hazy, due to fire activity in Idaho. I also experienced some remnants of forest fires where it looks like 1000+ acres were burned. As the ride progressed, it got warmer and warmer, until I got to Clarkeston where it was 103 degrees! Glad I'm in for the night with AC! On the way out, I stopped for coffee at Blue Star Coffee Roasters in Whisp, WA. This was recommended by the young couple this morning as I was packing up camp. It was a very good choice!! Great cup of coffee. The ride took me along the Columbia River and finally crossing the Snake River into Idaho then back into Washington. It reminded me of the saying, "you can't get there from here!" If you're from South Carolina, you know what I am talking about. Today's thoughts and concerns are about fire and the devastati
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Getting Psyched! - Day 0

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May 1, 2022  It’s our first night. After church, Kelly took me at Amicalola Falls State Park Lodge, where we (Ken aka “Breadcrumbs,” and I) will spend the night. We hit the trail in the am after an 8 am breakfast. We decided to take a ride to the start of the Appalachian Trail at Springer Mt rather than do the approach trail. The lodge is nice. We both repacked our packs and did a double check of all our necessities.  I’m looking forward to the journey. I’m thankful that Ken and I are doing this together. We feel the prayers and support from everyone who knows about our trek.  I think about how we as humans are social creatures. We need each other. For me, part of what makes church a relevant part of life is the connection to other believers, helping care for one another. I pray that others feel the same way.  It’s getting late and the trail is going to be calling early. Happy Trails & Many Blessings! Ken+
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Seaside Monday!

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Today (7/24) I rode from Coos Bay, OR to Seaside, OR. Talk about a cold ride! This one was really cool with the cross winds and overcast. I don't think I saw the sun but twice. I tend to take more pictures when the sun is out, so the bulk of the pictures from today include sunshine. The ride up Hwy 101 and the coast of Oregon was great, even though it was cold and overcast. At one time, I felt wet from all the sea spray. So, not every day has been the bliss of sunshine! Hmmm... it reminds me of life. While the good days definitely outnumber the bad, I've had my share of clouds. I think that the clouds are what help us appreciate the sunshine. It's the gloomy pieces that make the bright pieces so much more enjoyable. Church life is not any different. Church is a messy place sometimes. It isn't all sunshine and daffodils. Sometimes there can be real challenge and real hardship for the community, but if the community is living for Christ, then it is possible to get thr
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Walking in Memphis (for the Weekend)

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But do I really feel the way I feel? 🎶 (thank you Marc Cohn - now I have that song stuck in my head!) Well, for me, it was more like "drying out in Memphis." Friday 8/11 was one of the most wet rides I have had. 250 miles in the POURING rain. I was soaked! Luckly the dry bag and the rain gear works. I was only going to stay in Memphis for the evening and head out to Sewanee on Saturday and spend the bulk of the weekend there. However, I was wet and tired, so I decided to stay for a couple of days - mostly to rest and dry out. I didn't take many pictures on the ride because it was so nasty. I spent Saturday sleeping in and not riding. I walked to the local IHOP resturant for brunch and I just chilled... much needed. No, I didn't go to Graceland and I didn't see the ghost of Elvis. Let the poor man Rest In Peace. On Sunday, I did attend worship at the Episcopal Church of the Holy Communion. Big Place! Lots going on. They have just completed a capital cam
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