On Peacemaking

Friends,

I had a wonderful experience at the peacemaking conference at Ghost Ranch last week. I was blissfully out of touch with both cell phone signals and the internet. My son Teo and I managed to hike or swim every day together, and my wife Kitty and I did the "high ropes" course for the first time, which was something I've been wanting to do for a long time. (I understand there are some incriminating photos out there somewhere.)

I haven't had time to write about the experience, but John Sniffen of Presbyterians Today has posted two extremely well-crafted articles based on one of my plenary sessions and another one by Maake Masongo, a pastor and professor of practical theology from South Africa. You can find them at:

http://www.pcusa.org/pcnews/2005/05334.htm

and

http://www.pcusa.org/pcnews/2005/05337.htm

Also, if you haven't seen it before, you should definitely check out the Presbyterian Peacemaking website, which is at:

http://www.pcusa.org/peacemaking

I've just spent a day in Charlotte with the National Black Presbyterian Caucus (there were well over one hundred young adults and youth). I'm flying today (God willing and the storms let up) to northern New Jersey to spend the holiday weekend with my wife and son and all of Kitty's family in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania. For the next ten days, I'll be crisscossing New York and New Jersey to see the best of what Presbyterians have to offer in those places.

Blessings on each of you.

Rick