I'm baaaaaack!

It' Sunday night at 11:05 p.m. and I am home from beautiful Vancouver and although, there is no time change, I find am I am trying to re-adjust and not quite "back" yet.
There is so much to share...
I probably won't try to cover everything in this first retutrn blog as it would be lengthy.
It is also odd as I don't really know how many folk are really reading the blog to warrant a detailed memoir. Suffice to say, it was a good trip and an interesting Gathering. I should invite Stacy Williams to blog a bit, too as it was her first Gathering as our Youth Delegate and she may have a different perspective; as would, Rev. Suzette and Cindy May from their vantage points.

Many of you recall that one of the key pieces of the Gathering was it's business and bylaw revisions and votes. And I am not going to be stealth about this or hedge and make anyone wait till I get back for next Sunday (which by the way is DST, so set your clocks now and beat the rush!).
Let me tell it to you this way, in one my dreams last night, I was at a meeting with a group of our Practitioners talking over church stuff and I concluded by telling them about the vote--even in my dream, I got a c lutch in my throat and began to cry as i shared with them that it was voted to change the name of United Church of Religious Science. We will over the next two years initiate to a dba of: United Centers for Spiritual Living.

As i shared with you at our Annual meeting, I was not pleased with this name choice or the process by which it was chosen and put on the ballot, so I was not happy that it was voted in. I was even less pleased with the unceremonious way with which it was announced on Friday night at the Banquet Awards dinner at the end of a verrrrry lllllloooong evening. It was shared without any sense of the delicacy of the matter (or prayer) that we had just altered our history. And I was not happy that the voting results were not announced--did it win by 2 votes or 200??? Hopefullly, that information will be provided once everyone returns home and can get it on the website.

Jean Houston and Gregg Levoy were the two keynote speakers. It was great to hear Gregg Levoy once again and get all re-inspired about passion and purpose (two of my favorite words and intentions, as you know).

We can celebrate that our very own Rev. Michael Kearney was elected to the Nominating Core! He will serve our organization well. And maybe he can nominate Tigger to a key position next year when the gathering heads to Miami. And we did vote that the Gathering for 2008 will be in Kansas City. Dharlene Fahl-Brittain was there along with her NEW BOOK!! She was serving up sacred tea ceremonies and signing copies of her book, "Sipping Tea and Celebraing Me".Just think--we knew her when---when she "birthed" her tea business in our Fundational Class and now she travels all over giving of her light, love and steeping everyone in consciousness.
AND last but not least, several service pins were given to our Practitioners --5 years to LuAnne VonderKuhlen; 10 year pins to Victoria Cramer and Jeanne Phillips; and drum roll please, a 20 year pin for our beloved, soon-to-be emeritus, Billie Frances! WOW! CONGRATULATIONS to our points of Light in this movement and on the planet.

Thanks to everyone who held down the fort (aka--the church) while I was gone.And I know you were in good hands with Rev. David Phears! A special thanks to everyone who contributed funds to help support the trip for Stacy Williams as our youth delegate and to Cindy May as our Practitioner Delegate.

That is probably enough to whet your appetite and to give you the factoids you may have been eager to hear. Tomorrow, I may venture into more personal recollections of my trip.

With love,
Your Minister