I've been thinking about...

Flagstaff, AZ.

And Indianapolis, Indiana. And St. Louis, Missouri. And Nashville, Tennessee.

Those are all the places I'll be traveling to this summer. And in the case of Flagstaff, it is a trip I’ve already made.

I'm grateful for the vacation and continuing education time granted to me by this congregation and over the next several months I'll be cashing in some of that time that I might find some rest, renewal, and new energy for the work ahead. I am writing this right before leaving for three days in Flagstaff to relax and celebrate my wife's birthday. By the time you are reading it I will have returned from that quick trip vacation.

I'll be in Indianapolis at the end of this month for the Disciples of Christ General Assembly. The Disciples of Christ are a cousin-denomination to the UCC, and my home denomination. General Assembly is their every-other-year gathering and it is a time for me to reconnect with friends and colleagues as well learn about the latest happenings in ministry. I look forward to bringing you back stories, ideas, and energy from that gathering July 29th to August 2nd.

Finally, I'll be in St. Louis and Nashville for extended time with family. We'll enjoy a family reunion with my wife's kinfolk and celebrate the wedding of my wife's cousin (at a ceremony that neither of us will be presiding, nonetheless!). That trip will have me out from August 12th to the 26th.

In the meantime, we still have much work to do. So lets keep at it!

Yours in the journey, Rev. Brian