Please Note - eCourier Schedule 

There will be no eCourier sent next week. Please watch your inbox for the return of the eCourier on Wednesday, August 1. Thank you. 

Faith is an Adventure Which Leads Who Knows Where 

Dr. Marc A. Wessels, Associate Conference Minister

He is the one who makes the clouds rise from the ends of the earth, who makes lightning for the thunderstorms, and who brings wind out of his storerooms. Psalm 135.7   GOD'S WORD translation

It was a beautiful evening last week when I headed across the Mississippi River with my two Irish Setters, Kumara and Scarlett Rose for our evening walk. We oftentimes head over to Illinois to walk along the Chain of Rocks Canal or head further afield up to the Lewis & Clark Memorial south of Alton or even out to the world heritage archeological wonder of Cahokia Mounds. That evening as we made our way I spotted an unusual sight: a blimp lazily heading eastward. Its destination was unknown to me.

Over the years I have studied blimps and hot air balloons. I graduated from hot air ballooning ground school and have taken numerous flights. But blimps, even though they share the lighter than air world of hot air balloons are, in all their glory, another matter completely. Blimps are the direct descendents of the monster zeppelins developed in Europe in another age. Until the disaster of the ill-fated Hindenburg, zeppelins traveled the world providing luxurious accommodations to exotic locations for the rich and famous. After the Hindenburg's explosion at Lakehurst, New Jersey, hydrogen was no longer used as a means of obtaining lift. And so, the blimp I was observing is filled with helium - a volume of 170,000 cubic feet (4,800 m3).

After crossing the river, I decided to "chase" the airship which was still far enough away that I could not clearly identify which corporation was flying it. I could tell from its coloring that it was not one of the familiar advertising Goodyear blimps, nor was it a MetLife blimp. Finally, as I closed in on the airship I observed that it was the DIRECTV blimp. I had never seen this blimp before but later found out that is was launched in October 2007 at the MLB World Series in Boston. Since then the blimp has traveled throughout the country flying over live sporting events and other notable entertainment and charitable venues. This blimp is unique in that it features a state of the art video screen that displays full color video images day or night.

I followed the airship by taking roads which I had never traveled before. As I kept the blimp in sight I determined the lay of the land and roadways and made choices that I thought would take me closest to it. As the airship seemed to be at a low enough altitude that it might land, I created my own course in order to see what the crew might do. I was delighted that within an hour of my initial sighting the DIRECTV blimp began to make its descent into the St Louis Regional Airport in East Alton, Illinois. When I pulled into the airport and made my way to where it was landing I observed a waiting ground crew which had been in place and awaited the blimp's arrival.

I had a lengthy conversation with one of the wives of the crew which consists of a minimum of 14 members which includes 2 pilots, 2 crew chiefs, mechanics, video light sign operator and additional ground team as required for specific operations. I learned that the airship had just crossed the state of Missouri after covering the 2012 All-Star baseball game in Kansas City. As the blimp settled into moored position most of the crew began to head out for a late dinner. Left behind was an assigned member of the crew whose duty was to remain overnight on static watch, assuring the airship's safety.

The adventure of chasing the airship and seeing it come to rest reminded me of our faith journey. God is the author of the winds and our lives. He has created us for his purpose. Like the blimp chase - we do not always know with certainty where we are headed or where we will end our journey. We do, however, know that God should be the object of our chase and that if we keep God in sight, seeking to follow him, even if it is not by the most direct path, we will eventually end up with him.  

The Trappist monk, Thomas Merton, expressed that reality in one of his prayers... "My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end... you will lead me by the right road although I may know nothing about it. Therefore will I trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death, I will not fear, for you are ever with me..."

OCWM Second Quarter Statements

Pastors and church treasurers please note that second quarter statements for Our Church's Wider Mission (OCWM) revenue will be mailed shortly from the Conference office. Thank you for taking time to review these report and sharing them with members of your official church boards. Your monthly support of OCWM will strengthen our ability to continue the work in our local congregations and in the wider mission of the church.

Please Remember in Your Prayers 

Martin Tempel, father of Rev. Ron Tempel (Catawissa Union Church UCC) passed away July 6. The funeral was held at Immanuel UCC in Ferguson with a second service held in Higginsville. Please keep Rev. Tempel and his family in your prayers. 

September 8 Boundary Training - Location Change 

Please note that the September 8 Boundary Training originally scheduled to be held at St. Johns EUCC will now be held at Parkway UCC, 2841 N. Ballas Rd, St. Louis, MO 6131   

Click here for a complete 2012 Boundary Training
schedule and registration information.  

143 days to the next Jazz Nativity!  

December 8 & 9 in Saint Louis

December 15 & 16 in Kansas City

 Come Celebrate! Camp Mo-Val 50th Anniversary Event  

 

On July 24th, Kirkwood UCC will be celebrating its 60th anniversary as a congregation, and we're holding some special activities this coming weekend in conjunction with that.     

While the 60th isn't a huge milestone in the life of most congregations, we decided to make it special as a way to celebrate two things: first, KUCC is still alive (praise be to God!); and second, KUCC is thriving as a transformed community, new and quite different from 10 years ago, but growing spiritually in ways unimagined in 2002.  Our tagline for this celebration is "60 and still growing!"

On Monday, August 6 at 6pm, Christ United Church of Christ, Bruno at Bellevue St, in Maplewood, MO will host our global mission partner Dr. Anil Henry. Dr. Henry and his wife Therese are serving in India. He is home in the states to renew his contacts with Disciple and UCC congregations and to fulfill family obligations. A potluck dinner is planned. Come hear his update on the work being done there.  

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