 Greetings, friends. Welcome to CTUCC Conference Cast for March 22nd, 2012, the regular podcast of the Connecticut Conference of the United Church of Christ, whoever you are, and wherever you may be on life's journey at this very moment, you are welcome here. We begin this week's conference cast with this meditation from Charlie Cooke and Broad, Connecticut Conference Minister for Endowment Ministries. In the 18th chapter of Matthew, Simon Peter asks Jesus how many times he should forgive someone. Seven times, he says, but Jesus doesn't think that's enough. Not seven times, he replies, but seventy-seven times. I'm no expert in evolutionary biology, but some of the things I've read intrigue me. It seems that we are in some sense programmed to seek revenge. Injustice makes us angry, and somehow an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth retribution satisfies us in the same way that eating when we are hungry or gratifying other biological needs is satisfying. Given that the rule of law and reasonably assured safety is a very recent thing in the history of human existence, one can see the benefit of this as a survival strategy. A mess with me, or my family, or my tribe, or you'll get everything back and then some, does have a deterrent effect. At the same time, we are also programmed to forgive. It would certainly not be an effective survival strategy if we always sought revenge against our family and tribe members. We generally find it easier, or at least easier, to forgive those who are closest to us, who matter to us, and who have value for us, including first and foremost our own children. Now here's the thing, we are also capable of forgiving strangers. How do we learn to be more forgiving? By seeing that all people are somehow close to us, matter to us, and have value to us. Faith helps us to do this. Our faith teaches us that all people are created in God's image, that all people share in God's unconditional love, and that God yearns for what is best for all people. This is a lesson we have to learn and apply over and over again, lest we fall into the trap of thinking that only the people in our family, or community, or nation, are worthy of forgiveness. We need to practice using an expansive definition of brothers and sisters. There is a story, I think it is from one of the Native American traditions, that goes something like this. The grandparent tells the grandchild that there are two wolves fighting inside of each of us. One wolf is evil, and the other is good. One practices revenge, and the other practices forgiveness. The child asks, which wolf will win? The grandparent answers, the one we feed. Here is a prayer for this week. God help me to be slow to anger and quick to forgive. God help me to remember that all of your children are my brothers and sisters. God help me to be patient and compassionate with my family and friends, and especially with strangers and anyone who seems different than I am. I pray in the name of Jesus Christ, who forgives all. Amen. Please also remember the family and friends of the Reverend John G. Manter in your prayers. He served churches in Massachusetts and Maine, and led the UCC churches in Wyndham and South Wyndham, Connecticut, for over 15 years. He died on March 10th. He was 100 years old. In the news this week, last Friday, Interim Conference Minister, the Reverend Charles Wildman, reluctantly announced the upcoming departure of the Reverend Sarah J. Verrasco, Fairfield County Regional Minister, as she pursues new directions in ministry. She wished Sarah well in her future ministry, he said, and are extremely grateful for the significant dedication and gifts which she has brought to her role. Sarah has served the conference since 2009, and was instrumental in the Genesis of the Crossroads Project, which supports small congregations making choices about their future. Her last day of service will be May 21st. The Conference Minister's search committee offered an update to the conference yesterday, distilling the hundreds of conversations and pages of information they'd received last fall into a brief report. This is by no means a statistician summary report, wrote committee chair the Reverend Gordon Rankin. We are reporting on the way in which we felt we heard God's voice speaking to us through the voices of the people of this conference. Among the notes they heard in the great chorus of voices, people highly value the conference's role in preparing, maintaining excellence among, and supporting the clergy. Churches appreciate the help they receive in seeking new leadership and the work of the conference's regional ministers and other staff. They heard an abundance of positive comments about Silverlink. They look for a conference minister who demonstrates theological excellence integrated with the practice of a deep personal faith, one who is a visionary, a risk taker, and willing to lead. The committee now turns to the work of preparing the conference profile, which will describe the ministry and the position to potential candidates. A smaller group will work with members of the board of directors on the new position description. Yesterday, March 21st, the conference went online with a live video stream. As Interim Conference Minister, the Reverend Shiles Wildman and Interim Associate Conference Minister, the Reverend Barbara Libby thanked local churches for their pledges to our church's wider mission, basic support. So we're grateful for all of those that have made pledges to OCWM the wider church. 113 churches put in their pledges in time to be entered into a drawing for two Silverlink camperships, as announced here by Barbara Libby. Here is one. Barbara Libby, would you like to read that one for us? The first church is Kent, Kent Congregational Church. Congratulations. There is the second church. And the second church is Enfield Congregational Church. Ministries of the conference are primarily funded by local church contributions through our church's wider mission, basic support, and through fellowship dues. The conference still hopes to achieve our goal of OCWM pledges for 2012 from 75 percent of our 243 member churches. Other stories on our website this week include the award to Hartford Seminary of the first Richard B. Griffiths Award for Promoting Interreligious Understanding. Reverend Griffiths was a UCC minister in Connecticut for many years and died just this past December. You can also learn about a program that builds the spirit through woodworking at the Carpenter's Boat Shop on the main seacoast. You'll find ease and the current headlines at ctucc.org slash news. The Maple Sugaring Retreat runs this weekend at Silverlink and March in the Sun, our day of workshops for local church leaders will be held this Saturday in Cheshire. Hartford Seminary offers an information day on their Doctor of Ministry program on March 26th. Registration is open for summer conferences at Silverlink as well as for three retreat and work opportunities this spring. The Spring Women's Yoga and Music Retreat that starts on April 13th, Spring Action weekend starting April 27th, and a new men's retreat called On the Edge of Fire which runs the weekend of May 4th. Learn more about and register for these at Silverlakect.org. The next Stepping Stones program, celebrating Sundays with children will be held March 26th in Southington. Email, websites and social networks, oh my, is the title for a day long workshop on communication for churches to be held in New Britain on April 14th. Spring Teams Unite gives local church environmental ministry leaders an opportunity to share stories and ideas and it will be in Middletown on April 21st. C.T. Women of the UCC hold their annual meeting on April 28th. May is 8th busy month. Boundary training for authorized ministers on the 3rd, the Church Historian's workshop on the 5th, a still speaking presentation with Felix Carrion also on the 5th and the New England Association of United Church Educators event called Welcoming the Living Stone runs May 8th through 10th in Craigville, Massachusetts. The 2nd annual Youth Revival is the evening of May 11th and the Spring Meeting of the Connecticut Conference featuring keynote speaker Lillian Daniel is May 12th in Suffield. Registration is now open for that event. You can find out more at ctucc.org slash annual meeting. Sign up now for the National Youth event. This great gathering of youth ages 13 through 18 will be held July 10th through 14th at Purdue University. We're taking registrations and granting scholarships now. Sign up by May 7th to get on board one of the two bus trips which will bring young people to these five days of dynamic workshops, inspiring worship, hands-on service projects and rock and recreation and music. The service bus includes a stop in Cleveland, Ohio for a mission project and to tour the UCC's national offices. The express bus will leave a little later and go straight to Purdue. You'll find more information at ctucc.org slash NYE. And you can always learn more about what's coming up in the Connecticut Conference at ctucc.org slash events. And that brings this conference cast to a close. Thanks to Charlie Cooke-en-Brod for his reflection and to GarageBand for our music. Primary funding for conference cast comes from your congregation's gifts to our church's wider mission basic support, changing lives through the United Church of Christ. This is Eric Anderson, the Minister of Communications and Technology for the Connecticut Conference of the United Church of Christ, praying that your days this week may be filled with the presence, the guidance and the grace of God.