Mark Hayes Peacock – blogs

So I was at Taylors Falls on Sunday and, per usual, well received by that generous congregation. Then, home to prepare the message for Tuesday’s devotions service at Good Sam and to unwind a bit and wind up for the coming week. Monday saw a bunch of business tasks in the a.m. and then Good Sam in the afternoon. Monday night had me in Amery for the Northern Lakes Center for the Arts writers group. I read “Shall We Dance?” which will be featured in the coming publication of “Soundings” magazine.

Today was Good Sam in the morning, followed by a lunch meeting of our town home association and all the decisions associated with that. Then, back to Good Sam for a meeting, then picking up food for the animals, then a visit with the family of a dying former parishioner and then home to do some catching up before a 6 p.m. meeting of the Osceola Village Board on behalf of the Osceola Seniors Club, of which I’m now president. Busy day! Tomorrow I get a break, Thursday sees some dementia training at Good Sam, after which I’ll try for a break at our cabin, and Saturday is two possible graduation parties and my reading Shakespear’s sonnets at the Northern Lakes Center for the Arts. I’m supposed to be retired?

Truth is, I’ve not written on a story idea in weeks and I’m starting to try to focus on past incidents for inspiration for the next story. What I have now is enough for book #5 on Kindle. Books #4 and #5 will combine to be the next paperback, “The Second Gathering of The Break Time Stories”.

So now it’s Thursday night and I just fished ironing some shirts. The long sleeved ones go to the closet in the garage for cooler weather. Monday saw me at the nursing home and Tuesday we traveled to Eau Claire, where Marina spoke to a good crowd on “The Effects of Trauma Growing Up In Berlin During World War II”. She had a large attendance; they gave her the large auditorium with a sound crew up in the sound booth. Per usual, she captivated the audience and took 15 minutes of questions in addition. I fielded the questions and repeated them so everyone could hear, including Marina, at whose cochlear implant ear I stood. Gretel and Andy, the Seeing Eye Dogs, were very good, even with four hours of driving and large crowds and shuttle buses. I think it did a number on Andy’s stomach, though, since he had diarrhea early in the morning that I duly stepped in when I went to my “stretching place” (a Persian rug) and in my office. I think I spent an hour cleaning up.

We got home in time for me to tune into WPCA-FM to hear my pre-recorded reading of “The Great Experiment”. The station has me scheduled to read a story every first Tuesday of the month until I run out of stories to share. What a privilege! On top of it, a bunch of my kids stopped everything to listen, too. The station streams online so anyone with a computer and modem can pick it up. (WPCAradio.org and the website will take you from there.)

The cleaning up after Andy was Wednesday morning. I made it to my piano lesson–something I wanted to do after I retired was to take piano lessons–a bit late and then I headed to the Osceola Seniors Club meeting, where I was formally elected as their group’s president. It’s a two year stint and I believe in term limits, so we’ll see how it goes. I’ve been promised strong back-up and I’m counting on that. The Club is looking forward to moving into its new space in the now-under-construction civic center and that should help us gather new members and undertake more programming and activities.

Oh, did I tell you that we bought a pontoon boat? It’s a 25 foot Premier and has been almost directly across the lake from us since it was new. It’s in good shape and I should be able to find time to pick it up in two weeks and get it launched and to our dock. I rolled in the 70 feet of dock myself; it’s something I still can do. (Taking it out is another matter: there is a ridge pushed up by the ice and John, my son, has had to help me the past three seasons.) I was at the cabin today and adjust the ramp to the dock, brought down a ladder to facilitate getting to the dock from the water (instead of having to wade to the shore to get on the dock) and then I mowed the beach and our 2 acres. That meant I never got to some other tasks like taking out some baby trees growing in the wrong places, ensuring no leaks in the fifth wheel roof,  and gathering things like anchors and dock lines from the Glasspar Sedan that will go on the pontoon.

Tonight I timed the reading of “Shall We Dance?” (20 minutes) that I’ll read next week for WPCA.  think I’ll also record “Sinner Ella”, the latest mangled fairy tale.

After being the only administrator-type working on Memorial Day, today I worked at Good Samaritan St.Croix Valley in the morning and did the usual Devotions service, as well as lots of visiting with our permanent residents and with those  in our care for rehabilitation. We lost one of our long-term people yesterday in the early hours and one of our “temps” made the difficult decision to become a permanent resident. Working at Good Sam is a rewarding ministry for me. We need to pray for Kelly, a 17 year old near-daughter of one of my Good Sam colleagues. Kelly was in an auto accident two nights ago and suffered serious brain damage, enough that pulling the plug is being considered.

Our weather has been unseasonably hot and humid, so some of the outside work I’d planned just didn’t get done. Thunderstorms don’t make for good widow washing! Tomorrow I record two more stories for future broadcast on WPCA-FM and then we’ll head for the cabin where I have a dock waiting to be put in for the season. I do that myself, rolling in 65+feet of dock and a platform. We plan to look at some pontoon boats, too, in the hopes that we can have something in the water to use this season. Next Sunday is Holy Communion at Wolf Creek United Methodist Church. We will meet afterwards to try to determine what 1/4 time really means for them and for me. I might find it difficult to stick to 1/4 time; I’m used to being at the hospital at 2 a.m. when needed and I was able to do a lot of in-home visiting when I was an active pastor.

Jack Starr is coming to pastor Osceola UMC. I think Jack is one of the best pastors in our Conference and I’m looking forward to having him as a neighbor.

Last Wednesday I recorded for future broadcast “The Great Experiment”, a story that will appear sometime this summer in the fifth Kindle story collection, “Another Four Break Time Stories”. Following the recording session, Bob Zenk, the station’s owner/manager, invited me to share a story every month at 7:00 p.m. on the first Tuesday of the month. I knew the reading had gone well; this is a story that lends itself to reading out loud. We’ve scheduled another reading session and I’ll probably record two stories then. The initial broadcast will be Tuesday, June 5th at 7:00 p.m. The broadcast streams online so anyone with a computer that can get online can listen. I’m having fun with this and if it causes people to buy some books, it will be even more fun!

Today I did the interment for Natividad Vasquez, a long-time friend, out at Fort Snelling. He was just an enlisted man in Korea but they gave him the royal treatment: full military, a three gun salute with five riflemen, taps, the flag presentation to Karolyn along with several certificates, members of the Minnesota State Patrol in uniform (co-workers of Ned’s son, Robert and a class act, as far as I’m concerned) and a large crowd of relatives from all over, as well as friends. Ned was a sweet man who lived a good life, was a devoted husband and a good father to his five children. We shared a meal afterwards at Yarusso’s, an East side St.Paul institution with a side room that had space to fit our crowd.

The Wolf Creek United Methodist Church and I had our introductory Holy Communion service on Sunday, during which I was introduced as their next pastor. There were cheers. It is heartening to be welcomed back so warmly.

I guess I just don’t have enough to do, so I accepted the Osceola Senior Citizens’ presidency, provided I had either a strong vice-president or a co-president. That was accommodated. Marina thinks the group needs a strong spokesperson during the time of the new building so that the Seniors won’t get trampled in the process. The group applied for-=-and got–the lead grant ($450,000+) to get the building project off to its start and there has been concern about the Seniors getting “shafted” in terms of space and use of the space.

I think I told you, also, that our town home association’s secretary/treasurer died and the responsibility for it was given to me. Thus far we’ve been able to get the bank account worked out, thanks to Rita Hernandez we have in our possession the keys to our safe deposit box, got the water turned on for the lawn watering, visited with the lawn service, and had someone on the roofs of the buildings to assess damage and began the process of filing a damage claim. That’s all in one week. Onward! The crumbling driveway awaits.

Thursday evening I will read “Shall We Dance?” at the Osceola Writers’ group that meets at the library. That story deals with a Spanish dance troupe and its issues. Amery’s writers’ group will not meet this month, due to scheduling difficulties. Next week I’m reading “The Great Experiment” for future broadcast over WPCA-FM radio. The station streams online so people can hear the story as it is broadcast.

I met with the leadership team of the Wolf Creek United Methodist Church and with our District Superintendent on Monday night. Surprised I’m to be their next pastor? You bet! (I’d asked if I should show up with a bag over my head.) Rev.Dr. Kate C. Jones hosted (SPPRC person) Melissa Swenson, Marina and me for dinner beforehand at The Pizzeria. Anyhow, the introduction/revelation was warmly received. Our task now is to create a vision for our future and then the steps necessary to get there, trusting that God will pave the way. We begin officially July 1st.

Meanwhile, on May 16th I’ll be recording a story or two for future broadcast by WPCA-FM, the community radio station out of Amery. WPCA streams online, so listeners can catch whatever I’ll be reading (have not decided yet).

Also last Monday I had a biopsy done of a spot on my left ear and Fairview has scheduled a follow-up to do whatever they intend to do about it.

Tonight is a meeting of our town home people. I think I told you that the accounting/financial/operations stuff has been dumped on me in a box. I can do the tasks involved but I want the feeling that we’re all in this together, as well as a backup person who can sign checks also on our account and who can take a look at the account every so often to see that I’m not embezzling.

I learned tonight that I’m appointed 1/4 time to pastor Wolf Creek United Methodist Church. That’s subject to their acceptance of me; however, I am their longest serving pastor (11 years) so they have some idea of what they’ll be getting. When I’ve had services there over the past year or so, I am warmly received. We will discuss details of the arrangement the first week of May.

Quarter time may be difficult for me to adjust to, since I am used to being the guy who’s at the hospital at 2 a.m. when needed–that sort of thing. If we can be clear about our mutual expectations, all will go well, I think, and this old dog certainly can re-train.

But what about Good Samaritan Care Center? We shall see. Lately, I find myself chafing against more and more of what I think are bureaucratic paperwork tasks that take time from what I signed on to do when I was invited to consider chaplaincy work there: do one-on-one ministry with residents, with families with great guilt about putting a loved one in a nursing home, and with staff that sometimes has a difficult day or has something at home that’s upsetting and they need to dump their burdens. I’ll continue as long as I can and I will know when the Lord tells me it’s time to quit. As for the added schedule, the Lord has made me strong.

Our town home association’s secretary/treasurer is in a nursing home and the books and records have been dumped in a box and left with me. We all will need to meet to figure out practical things like who gets the mail, who signs checks and pays the bills, and who contracts to have things done around our eight units. I don’t think it’s all that much work, but I really would rather have someone else take it on.

This morning saw no falling snow but a good crowd at Taylors Falls United Methodist Church. I’m always well received there and the service went well. One woman called the service “superb!” The church building is the oldest Methodist Church building in Minnesota that still is in use and is registered as an Historical Site amid the historical homes on “Angels’ Hill”.

Yesterday was spent cranking out 13 ads for the next quarter series for Church Page Ministries. The ads run in newspapers nation-wide and CPM has been a client of mine for more than 30 years now. The task in the ads: capture peoples’ attention in 45 words or less and motivate them to get to church that week. We use a combination of scripture, argument (so to speak) and then an invitation to show up at the church of their choice. I hope that when they do show up that they get fed.

You know that I have filled in frequently of late at Wolf Creek United Methodist Church. After service this morning with District Superintendent Rev. Dr. Kate C. Jones, the Wolf Creek congregation met to formally withdraw from the Upper St.Croix Parish (the other churches include Grantsburg Central, Atlas and St.Croix Falls United Methodist Churches). They had decisions to make, officers to elect and a budget to adopt. The next step there is for the Wisconsin Conference to appoint a quarter-time pastor. This is a major move for WCR, as they have been yoked with at least one other congregation since (perhaps) its beginning. (Back in 1911 they were yoked with Eureka and Cushing Methodist Churches. My predecessor pastored Wolf Creek, St.Croix Falls and Taylors Falls. I was fortunate to pastor just St.Croix Falls and Wolf Creek.) It is difficult to be the small or smallest church, difficult to pastor and difficult to be the small or smaller church. As it was, my predecessor did the 8:15 a.m. service at Wolf Creek, hightailed it to St.Croix Falls, often arriving late, and then hustled over to Taylors Falls. Taylors Falls, then, received the pastor’s time for conversation after the service and things evolved so that Taylors Falls became the favored congregation. When I came, Taylors Falls had been spun off to Minnesota’s Conference (where it belonged) and I had the St.Croix Falls service moved to 10 a.m. instead of 9:45 a.m. so I had a bit of time to visit at Wolf Creek and didn’t have to rush off. The early service time in Wolf Creek is a problem for some, especially for young people, but some people like the early service time. The ultimate attendance there is limited by the small space of the church building, which is a former two room school that the congregation has updated nicely. Sometimes snug can be good!

Dresser’s outdoor thermometer read “0” degrees when I drove through this morning enroute to Wolf Creek United Methodist Church. It wasn’t much warmer in the church building when I arrived: the furnace was not working. We joked about going Pentecostal and doing church aerobics. During the service Neil, whose business is furnaces, was at work in the basement. (At the service’s end, I took Holy Communion down to him.) I preached on Paul’s letter to the church in Corinth and I can’t say it was the best Easter message I’ve ever preached. (Sorry, Lord!) Young Josh read scriptures and showed a nice presence for someone who might be 10, 11 or 12 years old. We were about 3/4 full; some of the regulars were with family but then we had family with some of our people, too. Next week is their meeting with the District Superintendent to formally disassociate from the Upper St.Croix Parish (Central [Grantsburg] Atlas and St.Croix Falls). They may hear, also, who their next pastor will be. I have a hunch I know who that is.

Next week I’m at Taylors Falls United Methodist Church, which means I’d better get cracking on some sermon preparation if I want to deliver something better than I did this morning.

Later in April I’ll be reading “Shall We Dance?”, the re-named flamenco story, for the writers’ group at Amery’s Northern Lakes Center for the Arts. And in May they’ll hear “Sinner Ella”, the latest “mangled” fairy tale.

Marina and I are looking at adding a second bedroom to the main floor of our Bone Lake cabin. That also means a covered screen porch and a new deck. Will we move there someday? We shall see how the future unfolds.

It was Palm Sunday at Wolf Creek United Methodist Church. We missed a couple of the regulars, but that meant more to eat at the after-service brunch! I’m always well received at Wolf Creek; they are a great bunch of people and I get plenty of positive strokes, enough so I need two watch out for a swelling head. I suspect a swelled head puts great pressure on the brain. I grew up in Hollywood and learned early not to believe one’s own press clippings. Holy Week reminds anyone of the transitory nature of public approbation. Good receptions can unravel very quickly. I sensed optimism at Wolf Creek last Sunday, optimism about their future as a small congregation and a willingness to put behind them the recent tensions and upset between pastors and the congregation and even between members of the congregation. May it be so!