REFLECTION ON MINISTRY
By Archbishop Oscar Romero

It helps, now and then, to step back and take the long view.
The Kingdom is not only beyond our efforts, it is even beyond our vision.
We accomplish in our lifetime only a tiny fraction
of the magnificent enterprise that is God’s work.
Nothing we do is complete, which is another way of saying
that the Kingdom always lies beyond us.

No statement says all that should be said.
No prayer fully expresses our faith.
No confession brings perfection.
No pastoral visit brings wholeness.
No program accomplishes the church’s mission.
No set of goals and objectives includes everything.

This is what we are about.
We plant the seeds that one day will grow.
We water seeds already planted, knowing that they hold future promise.
We lay foundations that will need further development.
We provide yeast that produces effects far beyond our capabilities.

We can not do everything, and there is a sense of liberation in realizing that.
This enables us to do something, and to do it very well.
It may be incomplete, but it is a beginning,
a step along the way, an opportunity for the Lord’s grace to enter
and do the rest.

We may never see the end results,
but that is the difference between the maser builder and the worker.
We are workers, not master builders,
ministers, not messiahs.
We are prophets of a future that is not our own.

     As we enter the season of Pentecost, anticipating the future of our planet with both hope and anxiety, I share with you the words of Archbishop Oscar Romero, words that I find quite inspiring. The Kingdom is beyond our current efforts and vision and it outstrips our current thinking. Yet our thinking, our vision, and our efforts, when aligned with God’s desires, do contribute to the creation of that new reality for which we hope, and they do make a tangible difference in today’s world.
     We can’t do everything but we can do some things, and we can do them very well. Let us do what we do in our church very well, and by doing them, let us contribute to that magnificent enterprise that is God’s work. We can’t do more than this, but let us not do less.
                                                                                          Tom

REPORT FROM CHRISTIAN OUTREACH

     The Christian Outreach Board on May 10 discussed several activities that our church members would be participating in during May, including the concert at the University Presbyterian Church on May 11, Mount Bonnell cleanup on May 19, showing of the documentary “China Blue” at the church on May 15, and a celebration of the third anniversary of the Religion and Labor Network on May 24.
     Micah 6 has published a new fold-out sheet listing services the needy can receive at churches in the University area. The services include not only food and clothing, but financial and housing assistance, bus passes, crisis counseling, medication, eye exams, and even work boots. You can pick up copies of the list at the church and keep them in your car to pass out to folks that approach you at red lights.
     Dan Jeffery reported on his experiences -- along with Marilyn Harris and George Hetrick – in Care Communities, an organization that arranges for individuals or groups to “adopt” person who needs assistance. The three of them provide help to one needy person. Dan believes other members of our congregation would enjoy this person-to-person outreach. To learn more about this program, talk with Dan, Marilyn, or George.

PRAYER GROUP RISING

     During Lent several members met weekly after church to discuss and practice the ideas in The Workbook of Living Prayer, by Maxie Dunnam. We agreed that we would like to continue the group and build a prayer ministry in the church. We are eager to have others join us. Please contact Liz Nash, Nodie Murphy, Fran Briggs or Marilyn Vache about our next meeting.

FROM THE DEACONS

     The Board thanks all those who participated in the recent book, CD, and DVD sale. You raised approximately $200 for the Deacons Memorial Fund. The money is there for those who have recently lost a loved one to make a charitable donation in his or her memory.
     Currently we are discussing ways to offer support for our church members who are in seminary. Three -- Will Heimbach, Linda Berard, and Dan Nieto -- are currently "in care" with the church, and another -- Jack Harris-Bonham --- will come before the congregation soon to request in-care status. Seminary, like any other graduate program, is extremely demanding, and carries with it an extra measure of self-exploration and exposure. All of us in the congregation can offer encouragement, feedback, and the occasional theological debate with our ministerial candidates.

STATUS OF ACCOUNTS
David W. Ross, Treasurer

     You will recall that, having begun the year with a surplus in the General Fund (budgeted operating expenses), we approved an ambitious budget with the expectation of running a deficit for the year. That deficit has begun to show itself, but not yet to the extent we had anticipated:

General Fund
Balance 12/31/06      $30,491.32
Income to 4/30/07    $61,617.86
Expenses to 4/30/07 $62,833.34
Balance 4/30/07      $29,275.84

     The next couple of months will be critical in showing how the rest of the year will go. Support for the local program has been very good so far, especially in light of the huge response to the Centennial “Let’s finish the job” program. There is usually an income slow down in the summer, however, and in June we intend to pay one half of our yearly pledge to OCWM ($7,050) for support of the South Central Conference and National Church. Let’s all continue to be aware of our pledged commitments.
     The listed income includes about $1,145 in accrual from our investments in the United Church Foundation Moderate Balanced Fund. The Trustees are working on an explicit investment policy to guide us in the prudent safeguarding of the church’s funds. I will be reporting quarterly from now on and will give a brief description of our invested assets in the next installment.

PERSONALS
by Pat Oakes

     Reuel Nash has a new job as of mid-May. He will be working at Google Earth as a member of the technical staff which develops code for what we actually download on our computers. He spent two weeks getting oriented at the Goggle campus in the Bay area and will be working back and forth from now on. Reuel and Liz's eldest daughter Ellie is in the middle of her summer project--taking Italian at the University of Perugia and touring the area. She has completed her first year at TCU and is on the trip as a part a group from TCU touring with her Italian professor. She'll be home on July 1. Ciao!
     We have sorely missed Cara and Jim Firestone, but Cara has had had some singing engagements, so they have been out of town a good bit recently. They've enjoyed some wonderful family time in D.C., Pittsburgh, and most recently Roanoke, VA. Almost one-year-old Gavin is becoming quite a good little traveler! He now says, appropriately, "Go!"
     Paula Fracasso completed her yoga teacher certification in May. Graduation was on May 26th. Her husband Michael Fracasso's new album, "Red Dog Blues" is out and is available on-line www.michaelfracasso.com, CD BABY, and iTunes, and locally at Waterloo. The CD release party was on Thursday, May 31st, across the street from the church at the Cactus Café. The beautiful, moving song he sang at church recently "Red, White, and Blue" is on the album. Children Giovanni and Stella are doing fine, but their dog Kiko seems to have developed allergies and keeps chewing all the hair off of his tail!
     Jake Burlinson graduated Magna Cum Laude on Saturday, May 12, (with a B.S. in Criminal Justice) from Texas State University. He was also commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Army National Guard. Jake, we are so proud of you!
     The month of May marked the first anniversary of Sarah Bentley's transition to work as a chaplain with Hospice Austin, the largest and oldest hospice services organization in the city, and the only one that is non-profit. Sarah, a member of the church who served as interim for us a number of years ago. visits individuals and families primarily in their homes, but also at Seton Hospital (where she sometimes collaborates with Cecile Adams). She works at Christopher House every other month or so on a weekend day. After 9 years in one parish, it was a big change for Sarah to meet so many different people every week, but she loves the work and is proud to work for such a well-known and well-run organization. Her husband Bob Breihan still works two days a week at New Life Institute, the counseling and spiritual growth center he started over 20 years ago (!). In addition to passing over a couple of "big birthdays" the last couple of years, they have another milestone as their oldest grandson goes off to college. Sarah and Bob are both in good health, living near Lake Austin (west of 360) and trying to grow things on soil that is 1-4" deep and full of large pieces of limestone! Sarah has been supply preaching at Trinity UCC in Niederwald (she was the first woman to preach there 23 years ago) but that is short term, so they hope to see all of us soon.
     Mary and Matt Blackstock spent a week in southern New Mexico in late April with fellow Elderhostelers and group leaders learning about the Mimbres and Mogollon cultures of about 1200 A D. Those people were the ancestors of present-day native Americans, residents of the present day pueblos along the Rio Grande. They enjoyed being in a group with interesting, knowledgeable people. One of the presentations was given by an academic person at the University of Western New Mexico in Silver City and included considerable information about Mimbres pottery, well-known and highly valued. Matt was so taken with the presentation that he bought a replica bowl of Mimbres pottery, something he is especially eager for our talented potter Sharon Brown to see.
     Pam Tucker's news is not really happy news. Pam and children Savanna and Harrison are still not in their new house. It was time for the interior painting when she found mold in the house. It appears that there were many leaks, probably roof leaks, where water was penetrating, so the mold grew in several rooms. It appears that her builders' risk insurance does not cover anything, so she will have to determine the best way to eliminate the water penetration, get rid of the mold and keep going. Pam says, "It is disappointing, but we are fine." Pam was the main contractor, so she is trying to work it out with the sub-contractors who did not do the job correctly. She is hoping to get through this without suing anyone! Good luck, Pam
     This is absolutely the last word on this year's Literacy Coalition of Central Texas Great Grown-Up Spelling Bee: The Church Ladies team wasn't the only winner -- Doyal and Tommie Pinkard (who were the team coordinators) won a six month subscription to the Austin American-Statesman by participating in--and getting the most correct words-- in the audience's spelling bee.
     Former members Steve and Jeanine Neuse flew from their home in Fayetteville, AK, to Germany on the 1st of May. They enjoyed time in Portugal with their son Micah and their grandchildren Bryce, and Jayce. They flew in to Porto, rented a car, drove to Obidos, and were off to Lisbon on May 11 and went back to Germany on the 16th of May. Their daughter-in-law Kara is still serving in Iraq while Micah and the children hold down the fort in Germany.
     Betsy Tylka went home to Ohio for her father's 80th birthday the last week in May. She and Suzanne Bradford went to the Easter sunrise service on Mount Bonnell and enjoyed seeing folks and hearing Melanie sing.
     It was a musical feast on Mother's Day at church. Florence Castle wowed the congregation on May 13th--her 91st birthday. During the service of dedication of the new piano, she and violinist Andy Strietelmeir played a beautiful rendition of "Preghiera" by Rachmaninoff. The new Yamaha piano was put to brilliant use with regular pianist Aaron Carter-Cohn as he played Chopin's "Ballade in F Major." A special Mother's Day treat was hearing Barbara Burnham, piano, and son Robin Rosson, cello, play "Sicilienne" by Fauré for the offertory. Fabulous Melanie Wilkinson and the choir kept things lively with "Great Day"--and then Andy and Aaron kept the rapt congregation way past coffee time with the postlude "Praeludium and Allegro" by Kreisler. To top off all of that musical joy, the men put on a lovely Mother's Day coffee hour for everyone.
     On May 11 at Seton Hospital, Rizer Everett had a cryo-ablation of a spot on his left kidney, and the operation went well. He is now back driving his car, taking limited walks, and performing normal activities. Shortly after he got home from his surgery, Rizer attended the birthday party for a man 100 years old. Rizer reports that he has has known only four people who have reached the age of 100 years . One of those would have been John McNeely of this church who lived to be 104! Rizer is to celebrate his 91st birthday on June 9.
     Newly-weds Andria Miner and Alan Lippert had a wonderful honeymoon. They traveled to Madrid and Barcelona. In Madrid they visited the Prado Museum to see the works of Velasquez and Goya. They enjoyed the Retiro Park (a peaceful respite in the middle of a busy city), and near the end of their time in Madrid, they toured the Palacio Real (Royal Palace). In Barcelona they strolled down the Ramblas, shopped the arts & crafts vendors, and sampled food in the open air market. Many times a day they walked past some of the Gaudi architecture (Moderniste "cake-melting" style). They also visited the Picasso Museum. In between all of the walking and sightseeing, they stopped off frequently for tapas and wine. They had a good time sitting down and ordering red wine (without choosing the variety) and seeing what showed up They report that it was quite enjoyable living the euro-life for those 9 days!
     Jennifer Howicz just finished a six-week PT Assistant internship at Scott & White in Temple, Texas. She worked in the acute care setting, spending two weeks doing wound care and another four weeks doing primarily joint replacement rehabilitation. It was a wonderful experience, although the family suffered from Jen's daily 2 hour 15 minute round trip commute! Jen says kudos to Jim and the girls for being so patient and understanding of her mid-life career change (formerly a lawyer)! Jim's parents, Joe and Phyllis Howicz, visited them at the end of April. They celebrated Grandpa's birthday with a wonderful family dinner and a Dora the Explorer birthday cake (picked out personally by Tess). Finally, for those who remember Watergate, The Howicz family has had Tessgate: Tess injured the pinky finger on her left hand while swinging on a wall-mounted baby gate (completely ignoring house rules against gate swinging). Typical trouper, though, she braved the ER much better than her parents and was inviting the doctor and nurses over to the house by the time they left. They were to go to the plastic surgeon in mid-May and were crossing fingers (so to speak) for a good report. Tess had a rather dramatic splint and cast on her left hand which she was eagerly showing one and all.
     Art quilter Francis Holliday Alford was featured in a marvelous article in "Quilting Arts" magazine, the April-May 2007 issue. The six page spread shows a number of her art quilts and includes an article about her adventures and inspirations for her work. You can see more at www.quiltingarts.com and at www.franceshollidayalford.com.
     Betty Bodman enjoyed a stint as a docent for the Austin Heritage Society Homes Tour held Mother's Day Saturday in the old Duval neighborhood just north of the UT campus. She was telling folks about the old Ettlinger home on Harris Park built in 1912. Whit Bodman is back home after an amazing trip to the Middle East. Here is his short report. " I have returned from 2 1/2 months in the Middle East. It always surprises me that everyone I have seen since I got back is grateful that I have returned 'safe.' I guess I can understand that, though to me the places I have gone have generally felt safe, and certainly did this time, yet I remember the first time I went to Israel, and stepped off the plane and saw that we were surrounded by trucks with machine guns. It scared me. Now I am used to seeing guns everywhere in Israel, something we don't see here at all. You don't see boys who look like they are still learning how to use a razor, carrying machine guns on the bus, not for guard duty, but just on their way home for a break. It is a very different kind of life, living in a heavily militarized society. Perhaps I should not be so used to it. Perhaps we are exceptional here being so safe as live in a society where the only guns we generally see are for sport. On Holy Saturday, before Easter Sunday, I went to the Ethiopian Orthodox service. Usually it is held on the roof of the Holy Sepulcher, but last year there were some crowd control problems as services at the Holy Sepulcher are nearly non-stop for four days, with various communities having their slots, and enormous numbers of people trying to go in and out through very narrow lanes. This year the Ethiopians got bumped off the roof to their monastery three blocks away. I was the only non-Ethiopian there, and they were very welcoming. It was tightly packed. They had a woman drummer who played before and after Pope Mathias' sermon, with the crowd singing and clapping along with her. Afterwards several people ushered me over to Pope Mathias and we talked for a minute - I was surprised that he had excellent English. I had my picture taken with him. So now I have an invitation to Axum, which is the real location of the Ark of the Covenant."
     Lisa Kirch and Sarah are doing a lot of gardening at their home in Sheffield, Alabama. Lisa reports, "But spring is finally here. The peonies have bloomed themselves out, and I've discovered a couple that weren't there last year. In the garden now are the last of the black iris; chive and thyme and sage in bloom; roses blooming in successive waves. The white coneflowers are just coming in, and the primroses get happier with each passing day. They're the same as the ones in Texas, and seeing them makes us happy. A second generation of Austin larkspur is 5 feet high in our flower beds. I say, "Austin," because the original seed came from Boggy Creek Farm. We look out the living-room window into a wall of purple and lilac and pink and white. We love it, and so do the bumblebees and hummingbirds, which are already back from Mexico. They also like the hollyhocks, which don't know that they were supposed to have gone to flower heaven after blooming last year. The bees leave pollen tracks everywhere, and Sarah delights in their pollen-y feet." Sarah enjoyed a trip to Atlanta with her Girl Scout troop and saw CNN and the new aquarium.
     David and Edith Scott, members of the church in the mid-1980s, were in Virginia from Scotland recently while their son David Junior spent 3 months in Houston, some time in Kilgore and then went on to Alaska. After the parents' trip to the U.S., they went on to the south of France. They all enjoy keeping up with the church through their Visitor which arrives each month.


JUNE BIRTHDAYS
2 Ches Towery
4 Stephanie Phillips
6 Debbie Appel-Knowlton
8 Katy Phillips
   Maggie Towery
9 Rizer Everett
  Tania String
11 Cheryl Appel
   Jonathan Briggs
14 Whitney Barrett
15 Gavin Patrick Firestone
16 Nodie Murphy
17 Karl Putz
20 Emily Howicz
21 David Ashton
22 Dennis Tingle
26 Garry Cole
27 Marilyn Gaddis
28 Pat Oakes
   Vic Appel
30 Eric Mubiriki

NEWS FROM THE BRAZOS ASSOCIATION

     Our Spring Association meeting, held Sunday April 29 at Church of the Savior in Cedar Park, was a joyous celebration. With over 100 in attendance, we voted to receive Church of the Savior in covenant as part of the Brazos Association and we voted to grant privilege of call to Rev. Dan DeLeon, pastor of Friends Congregational UCC in College Station, and Rev. Mary Wilson, pastor of Church of the Savior. Rev. Douglas Anders, our new South Central Conference Minister, celebrated a liturgy of covenant with the Association. Our new moderator, Rev. Tim Tutt, pastor of United Christian, began his term as we offered a sincere “thank you” to outgoing moderator Anne Wehrly, of Friends Congregational UCC, for her excellent gifts of service among us.
     We have plenty of exciting events this month in the church beyond the Brazos Association. Our South Central Conference Annual Meeting will be held June 1-3 at the Doubletree Hotel in San Antonio, with many people attending from our Association. General Synod, the national meeting of the United Church of Christ, will be held in Hartford, Connecticut on Friday, June 22 – Tuesday, June 26. Saturday, June 23 will be a headline day as Synod in the City, a celebration of the 50th birthday of the UCC, takes place featuring theater performances, storytelling, music, and speakers such as Barak Obama, Marion Wright Edelman, Bill Moyers, and Leonard Pitts. I will share the list of people from our Association who attended Synod in my next article to let our churches know how to find out about the celebration and meetings.
     Two exciting events are coming up in June at our Association churches. First, missionaries Daniel and Emmalatte Prakash, who serve in India doing work with child and parent education, will be at St. John's UCC in Burton in mid-June, speaking at worship on June 10th and sharing during Vacation Bible School. At this time, the Prakashes are available to speak and be hosted by Association Churches on June 7th, 8th, and 9th, They may also be available after those days, particularly for churches near Burton. Contact Wilfred Dietrich at 979-836-3120 if you are interested in having the Prakashes speak at your church or community meeting. Second, Austin area UCC churches are hosting Tim Nonn, Coordinator for the International Campaign for Justice in Sudan, as he speaks about the genocide in Darfur. Tim is traveling across the US on the “Comma Train” to raise awareness about this urgent issue. He will speak at United Christian Church in Austin at 6 pm on Sunday, July 8. All are invited to attend and encouraged to spread the word. If you are interested in having Tim speak at your church, contact him via email at timnonn@comcast.net or cell phone at 707-799-1056.
     Blessings in Christ,
          Liz Nash, Associate Conference Minister, Brazos Association

WORSHIP GIFTS

     Do you have an artistic talent, a musical piece, an inspirational poem, an uplifting song you would like to share with us? Each summer we look forward to enjoying many talents represented in our congregation. We've had tapestries explained, original compositions, poetry readings, songs, stories, dances, special hymns. What would you like to contribute to our worship this summer? Please contact Nodie Murphy (255-4602 or nodie@austin.rr.com) with your ideas.

NURSERY NEWS
     We have introduced cooking activities in the nursery. The children will be rotating a cooking project and art project weekly. Look for our tasty treats during coffee hour. If you have not already done so, come and look at our documentation board to see what the children have been up to. I will be updating the pictures periodically. We met 3 new friends in the nursery this month-- Alex, Ezra, and Yanna.
     Melissa McFerrin, Nursery Care Giver


COFFEE HOUR
     Please sign up in the Fellowship Room to be coffee hour hosts on an upcoming Sunday. The coffee hour time is such a good opportunity to visit old friends and meet visitors. We keep coffee and ginger ale and some punch fixings in the pantry in the kitchen. There are usually paper napkins, and we use coffee mugs and punch cups to avoid wasting natural resources. Your menu can be as simple or complicated as you want. Cookies and/or chips and salsa are just fine! If you have questions, talk to Pat Oakes, Tommie Pinkard, or Lynne Lemley.


Deadline for July-August VISITOR — June 15

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