Even from a distance, I am feeling a sense of the pain for the people of El Paso and Dayton after the violence and death caused by a shooter in their communities this past weekend. My feelings no doubt relate to the October 1st Las Vegas shooting. Right now the pain is more of a numbness.

Our 2019 session of the Desert Southwest Annual Conference was a stretch of experience and emotion for me. In some respect it was like the crazy roller coaster ride at the county fair — not like the slick coasters at the big name parks, but the wooden coaster that has seen some weathered days with great character and test of time.

When asked — “what drains your energy most in ministry?” — many respond — “Meetings!”

What do you do when your world is shattered, or your heart is broken? Life was not the same after her spouse died. They had been together for 44 years when he suddenly became ill and died by the end of the week.

I am confident that the Spirit, even now in this time of brokenness in our UMC, calls us to be the church. Perhaps in a very new form, but always the church, the Body of Christ. Let us pray to have the creative inspiration to take ash and mud and re-make our church anew.