Countdown to Sunday

The day is off and running.  I can finally see the top of my desk again after having it been hidden from my eyes for many days under piles of work.  I am not done catching up, but I am further down the track than I was a week ago!

The upcoming Constituency Meeting scheduled for this coming Sunday seems to be on a lot of people’s minds.  The office has been a whirlwind of activity for about a month now, with the pace picking up the last few days.  I have been asked to lead the pre-session song service.   Phil Draper will be playing the piano and organ (not at the same time).  I am looking forward to that part of the program.  I must confess that I am not sure I am looking forward to the rest of the day at this point.

I recognize the need for organization and process.  A system needs to have these ingredients in order to survive.  However, I can’t help but note that these very same systems can become systems or self-perpetuation if there is there is no system of checks and balances.  Sadly, religious systems are not exempt from this transition from movement to museum.  Politics are not by nature evil—they are, after all ingrained into the human psyche.  Like civility, they are necessary to organize governance structures.  By the same token, civility can mask Machiavellian motives, and politics can become a weapon of mass destruction. 

Although I have never been on this side of a constituency meeting, I have been on the other side and have witnessed enough of the seedy side of humanity cloaked in religious-speak.   But this is the system of church governance we have been given, and it does work as it was intended to.  I do wonder if there will ever come a time when people of God will pray together for the Holy Spirit to make clear the choices that need to be made.  What ever became of casting lots?  How about the Urim and the Thummim?  I know a lot of people are praying earnestly for the meetings and for God’s will to be done; in the process as well as the results.

On a personal note as a student of human nature—I enjoy seeing such events develop and witnessing the various personalities that make such meetings unforgettable, often times for reasons not apparent to the people involved.  I do have a report to give towards the end of the session, but it should be brief and perhaps even offer opportunities for people to ask questions.  Maybe I am looking forward to the day after all….

A Night at the Ballpark

Wednesday morning is here already.  This has been an interesting week.  My desk is a disaster area.  I am not used to having a desk that is in such a state of disarray.  I have piles of unfinished work and projects that are in holding patterns until more information comes due.  I have major decisions that have to be made that require additional study. 

But in the midst of the seriousness of the day I took some time last night to attend a major league baseball game at Chase Field in downtown Phoenix.  It was an encounter between the Los Angeles Dodgers (my team of choice) and the Arizona Diamondbacks (the local team who were already playoff-bound).  It was a game for the ages.  Actually it ended in the 10^th inning in a fashion that has only taken place four times in the entire history of major league baseball. 

The names are secondary, but suffice it to say that the Dodgers had scored five runs in the top of the 10^th inning and held a six to one run advantage heading into the bottom of the 10^th inning (the equivalent of overtime for the non-initiated).  I would say 99% of the time if you go into the bottom of the 10^th inning with a six run lead, you are going to win.  But that’s not all…it gets better.

 The first two outs took place in quick succession.  The Diamondbacks were down to their last out.  I would venture to guess that over 99.9% of the time you will lose a game if you are behind by five runs in the bottom of the 10^th inning with two out and nobody on base!  As a Dodger fan I was enjoying the moment with my Diamondback friend who had provided the tickets.  Most of the Diamondback fans had gone home by this time.  The ones that remained were present out of some misplaced sense of loyalty, but they were resigned to the inevitable loss.  What happened next is almost surreal.  I enjoyed every minute of it…seriously, if for no other reason than to see the change that took over my friend as the events developed.

In brief, a combination of walks, hits, and a critical failure by the Dodger pitcher to cover first base on what would have been the third and final out of the game led to two runs scored by the Diamondbacks and a bases loaded situation with the batter representing the winning run.  I had even kidded with my friend earlier that “hope springs eternal.”  He thought I was mocking him and made some snide remark about my insincerity.  One pitch to the “Tatman” (a moniker for one of the Diamondback player with an abundance of tattoos), however, and the game was over.  Just like that! 

A “walk-off” grand slam in the bottom of the 10^th inning—it was amazing!  The stadium erupted as if three times the number of people were there.  My friend was all smiles and was hollering like a kid.  I could do nothing but go around a “high-five” previously downcast Arizona fans that were now in various stages of celebration.  I am sure I will hear about it again.

In any case, I got home late.  My mother called me on the cell phone to ask where I was and when I was coming home.  I told her I was on the road and would be home shortly (aren’t I a good son?).  Thankfully I was already on the road when I took her call.  Of course I forgot to take my Dodger hat off upon my return and my mom quickly seized the moment to ask me if it was sunny outside—my mom has fine-tuned sarcastic side.  At least she didn’t lecture me on the evils of young boys staying out on the streets during the wee hours of the night…well, at least not until this morning over breakfast.  Oh, well….

Tuesday Afterthoughts

Much has transpired since my last entry.  I celebrated my 32^nd anniversary last Friday, the 23^rd.  It was a great weekend.  As is our tradition, we visited the Los Angeles County Fair in Pomona, California.  It is amazing how blessed I am to have a wife like Penny.  It is not ideal to be living in two states, but is it where we are right now—in two different states.

This is a new experience for us, and we are still adjusting.  I hope we never truly adjust since that means we would get used to being without each other.  I miss her more that I admit readily…of course, since I am including it in this blog, she is likely to come to the knowledge of such a happening.  In any case, life goes on.  There is plenty to keep me occupied here in Arizona.  Since the new principal for TAA is in place things have definitely changed.

There is still more than enough work to keep me busy most of the day and part of the night.  And if that is not enough, my mom is back with me, with all the nuances that entails.  She enjoys living with me with the exception that she would want me to stay home every day and talk to her.  I have discovered that computers and my mom apparently do not coexist.  As she describes it, the moment I leave the room the computer, any computer she has in her general vicinity, ceases to work.  Interestingly enough, as soon as I come home and touch given machines, they immediately begin to work again.  She says it’s the devil not wanting her to listen to MAS TV (in Spanish).

My two weekend hiatus from preaching ends this weekend as I am slated to preach at the Desert Valley SDA Church in Tucson this coming Sabbath.  My sermon title is “The Elect.”  Given that constituency is on Sunday, I thought it might be appropriate to preach on our election in the spiritual sense.

I am feeling more than a bit unsettled.  I can’t seem to catch up with the tasks that need to be completed.  I am constantly distracted and interrupted by causes that call for immediate attention, even if in fact they are not critical.  On the bright side I have begun getting back into a regular schedule—particularly as it pertains to my diet and exercise.  I was feeling more than a bit plump.  Mundane activities were taxing me more than they should have.  The bottom line is that I am truly too frugal to want to buy new clothes to adjust to my new-found girth.  So I am eating better, in spite of my mom’s commitment to deter me with all sorts of home-made meals that I must avoid as much as possible.  Heart-attack on a plate!  Mexican multiple-fried, cheese embellished, culinary infarction delicacies calling my name in Spanish!   

Thought for the day: God is good!  Me?  Not so much!  Not close, in fact!  But that just make His goodness even better!  Yeah!

Memorable Sunday in September

Sunday provided plenty of memorable moments-- so many that I forgot that it was the day Nominating Committee was meeting back in Arizona to decide on the slate of Conference Office Administration and Departmental Directors to recommend to the Conference Constituency on October 2. I was swimming with my grandchildren when I got a call reminding me of the happenings and informing me of the decisions being made.

In the morning I officiated a wedding ceremony for a long-time friend of the family. By a long-time friend I mean a long-time friend, like since childhood days in Redlands! The gathering was small and private, but many of the people there were reminders of a time long lost. I knew some of them, obviously the person getting married, but the strange thing Was to have so many of the others remember me as a very small child. It was a very strange feeling. The time spent was memorable.

The afternoon provided me an opportunity to be with Elyse and Ruben, my grandchildren. We spent quite a portion of the afternoon in their pool making up all sorts of games involving water and excitement. It was wonderful! I am blessed beyond measure. I will stay until Monday morning in order to secure the marriage documents and then travel back to Scottsdale with my mom "riding shotgun."

Unexpected Sabbath Treat

I had a great day in Riverside today. It was an unexpected surprise since I was scheduled to speak for a prayer retreat in Prescott this weekend. Nonetheless, I enjoyed a great evening with my boys, my daughter, my son-in-law and daughter-in-law, my grandchildren, and Penny. We were up late laughing at old photos and discussing parenting skills. Everyone is an expert at raising other people's children. The topic of my grandchildren is no exception. Everyone has an opinion. But it is fun getting into the fray.

My daughter-in-law a cooked up a feast for Sabbath lunch - a Middle Eastern feast at that. There was humus and baclava and lentils and rice and salad, and many more delicacies. I helped a little. The Escalante House was filled with family members and friends-- there must have been over 40 people there! The conversations extended well into the afternoon. I notice we laugh a lot at family gatherings. We all know that everything is not totally fine; after all we have an aunt that is very ill from cancer-- she was there. We have family that is struggling with their walk with God-- they were there. There was even an old family friend that is getting married tomorrow in his new family's back yard. All are there for family and friendship and a safe haven these these gatherings provide. It was a great Sabbath!

Oh, by the way, my beautiful young niece Ashley announced her engagement to the young studly Nolan. We all knew it was coming but it was a great family moment anyway. Nolan is a great guy. My condolences to my brother-in-law, Skip, who will bear the financial brunt for the nuptials of his only daughter.

Thursday Night at the Office

I am in the office after hours, with only the president and me in the office. I know he is here because I saw his truck here when I returned from taking my mother home after her afternoon at the beauty parlor. Oh yes, my mother is spending a few days with me. She arrived last Sunday. It has been an adjustment.

There is the issue of reporting in incessantly. If I don't report, then I have to be prepared to answer (or ignore) an unending chain of phone calls to my mobile number. She wants to feed me all this time. She obviously wants to talk all day long-- which really isn't a problem, except I need to be in the office or getting to a meeting. She calls me after hours to see if I am all right. I find myself locking the door to my room afraid she will come in to tuck me in bed or read me a bedtime story. It's a bit of an adjustment. She is, after all, my mom!

In any case, with the new principal, Wayne Longhofer, in place at TAA I am readjusting to being in the office or on the road as before. I am finally catching up on the back work that I did not realize I was behind on.

Up to about a couple of hours ago, I was planning on a full week speaking for a Men's Prayer Retreat at Camp Yavapines. The news of the cancellation was bittersweet. On the one hand I would miss the opportunity to share some messages on prayer that I was looking forward to sharing. On the other hand, with an open weekend I now have the opportunity to visit my family in California. That is good news!

Constituency seems to be on a lot of people's minds nowadays. Since I have not gone through this process before I am a bit clueless about whether I should be stressed or not. I have chosen to be a fatalist about my future in Arizona. After all, I still believe God brought me here. So if He thinks that I have done what He called me to do, then I will gladly move on even if I do not think I have completed the task in my eyes. The next person will be empowered to do the job. It's all a God thing in the end.

On a side note, I am hearing lot of good things from a lot of people who are happy with the direction this conference is taking in terms of education. It is refreshing to hear that good things are happening-- from kids and parents alike. The negativity is limited to people who refuse to see anything but the worst in most situations. I hope they pray for me even as they choose to see the worst in me. I do pray for them. On the bright side, it will all be over on October 2 if it is true that I just can't see the system collapsing around me. God would do well to move me on.

I'm done! Gotta go home before it gets too late. My mom may ground me! (That is a tongue in cheek statement).

Memorable Town Hall Meeting

The Town Hall Meetings scheduled prior to the Constituency are now history.  It was my first experience doing conference constituency Town Halls, although I had town halls for my schools in the past, both here in Arizona and in California while I was at Orangewood.  All in all the meetings were positive events.  No one had negative things to say, although some concerns were voiced on a number of subjects related to the conference in general.

There was one town hall meeting, however, that was graced with the presence of an inebriated heckler.  He walked up the middle aisle of the church all the way to the front row of pews and promptly saluted the speaker, who happened to be the conference president.  He took a seat on the front row and seemed to be listening intently to the words of the president who was speaking in English and in Spanish.

This seemed to evoke negative feelings from the mysterious stranger who spontaneously yelled, “Speak in English—this is America!”  The president tried to ignore the outburst.  The stranger blurted out some other unintelligible utterance to which the president made a statement informing the visitor that he was welcomed to stay but that he would have to be quiet if this was going to proceed appropriately.  Suddenly the heckler cupped his hands over his mouth for amplification purposes and blurted, “Shut the (expletive deleted) up!”

At that point both the head pastor of the church came and sat behind the man, followed soon after by yours truly.  I informed him that any further outburst would result in an unfortunate expulsion from the otherwise friendly confines of the church.  He did not respond verbally but made a very loud gesture with is fingers that expressed his disdain for both the pastor sitting behind him and me.  He was immediately ushered out the side door while muttering, “This is Nazi Germany!” and sent off with our best wishes and hopes for a sober future.  He did not return.

Last night took us to Tucson and two Town Hall meetings—one at the Central Spanish Church and the other at the Desert Valley Church.  I had the privilege of driving the “Voos,” which is the name given to the transport vehicles for the academy.  The idea being that this vehicle is not quite a bus and not quite a van, thus a “voos.”  They appear to be airport transportation-type vehicles not unlike the airport car rental courtesy vans that have seating for 14-16 passengers.  Oh, well!

As many of you know, a new principal for Thunderbird Academy has been secured for the rest of the school year.  His name is Wayne Longhofer, who actually was a principal for TAA back in the early 90’s.  He is a great fit for the school during this transition time.   He is fully in charge and has the experience and leadership abilities to move forward with the changes we have tried to implement on the campus.

Although I did not take the time to process the toll the dual role was taking on me, in hindsight I can see and feel it.  The good news is that I am back in my original role as superintendent here in Arizona.  There is so much to do and the challenges are many.  I sense that our biggest obstacles are the ones we place in the way to keep us from even considering the possibility of change for the better.  Yes, changing a system will require a large outlay of energy and time, but it is not only worth it—it is essential if we are going to rescue the next generation from being swallowed up in the general mediocrity and spiritual malaise that is so prevalent in the world in which they have to grow.  If we believe our message and mission as a church is worth it than it’s worth fighting for.  Period.  Gotta go!