I can't tell you how happy I am to have such an awesome group of co-pilgrims with whom to travel! It was a great blessing to have the time to be introduced and begin our bonding. I am excited beyond words about the pilgrimage.



As a racetrack chaplain the comments I most often hear are, "You are a chaplain WHERE?" or "What do you do, pray for the gamblers who have lost all their money?" Actually, when people SEE the ministry taking place at the racetrack, they understand why I believe this to be the most challenging, exciting, and fulfilling ministry anywhere.



A little about me -- I am 51, and joined Race Track Chaplaincy in January, 1990, as Chaplain at Tampa Bay Downs, in Tampa, FL, after previously serving as Associate Pastor in Cleveland, Ohio (1984-1989), and as Senior Pastor in Lutz, FL (1989-1990). In April 2003, I was asked to be the first full-time Chaplain at Churchill Downs, and its training facility, Trackside, in Louisville, KY.

“The barn area, also know as the ‘backside,’ of a racetrack is a city unto itself. Having served as a racetrack Chaplain for the past 19 years, I have come to understand some of the greatest challenges, as well as the greatest rewards, of this unique and wonderful ministry. Our chaplaincy program faces these challenges head-on, not only meeting the spiritual needs of our community, but by offering emotional, educational, physical, and social services as well. As an ambassador of the Lord, it is a privilege and a joy to share the promises of acceptance, love, joy, peace, community, hope, and salvation, which God freely offers to all. And there is no greater joy than seeing people come to know the assurance of eternity through faith in Jesus Christ as Lord.”

I was born and grew up in NJ. I earned A.A. (Pre-Theology) and B.A. (Religion & English) degrees from Concordia College in Bronxville, NY (1975-1979); and a Master of Divinity degree from Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, MO (1979-1984). My wife, Natalie, and I have a soon to be 16-year-old daughter, Bethany. I enjoys game nights with family and friends, playing Wii, golf, and watching the N.Y. Yankees.



Please keep my family and me in your prayers. Tomorrow (Wednesday) we will have our family pet, Amazing Grace, a faithful friend and companion for the past 16 years, put down due to complications of old age.



I have been and will continue to pray for each of you as we prepare to literally follow in our Lord's footsteps.

Bless you all --

Ken Boehm

Hey Pilgrims!

What an amazing time we had getting acquainted with one another, just think what it will be like for the two week trip! Thank you all for your presence.

I have been in the ministry since 1981, and this will be like my first true sabbatical! I was ordained in the ELCA and served Lutheran parishes in Wisconsin. Then received a call to the Roscoe First Congregational United Church of Christ near my home town of Rockford, IL. Moved to warmer climates to New Albany in southern Indiana to minister at Faith Community UCC in eastern Louisville.

Connie and I have been married for three years and she is a RN at Floyd Memorial Hospital. We very much enjoy the opportunities to travel and were delighted to be able to go to Rome, Paris and London a few years ago. We have boys in Indiana and Georgia.

Looking forward to doing more reading, praying and rejoicing in God's good gifts.

Jack's Intro

It was great to be with you all this past couple of days. You are a blessed group of people with whom I look forward to going on this blessed journey to Israel, the birth place of our faith.

I am currently serving the Mt. Tabor Presbyterian Church (USA) in New Albany, Indiana. I have been here 12 years and continue to be excited with the privilege of being their pastor. I am so excited about being here that there are days I have a difficult time staying inside my skin. This is a cool place with really cool people who love the Lord and who eagerly look for new and creative ways to be of service to one another, the church and community. Who could ask for a better place to serve?

In addition to being gifted with a wonderful place to work, I am marred to an even more wonderful woman named Dana who is just crazy enough to put up with the irregular hours of a parish pastor. 19 years ago, Dana and I met a Louisville Seminary where she continues to work as the Administrative Coordinator in the Seminary Relations Office. She sings in two church choirs at Mt. Tabor and is the Vice President of the Fiber Exchange Guild of Southern Indiana.

Together, Dana and I, own and operate a small sheep farm where we raise a rare breed of sheep, Black Cotswold. We shear their wool twice a year, then wash and dye it into about 20 different colors, then make it available to hand spinners, weavers, doll makers, felters and a wide variety of other fiber artist. We also manufacture and hold the trademark and paten on needle felting tools called, “Needle Felters®”. Feel free to check out our web site, www.bigspringsfarm.com

In addition to serving as the Senior Pastor of the Mt. Tabor Church, I am also the Chief of Chaplains for the Floyd County Sheriff’s Department, Indiana. I have the joy of be able to work with three other skilled chaplains were we serve 67 police officers, correction officers and their families, and the general population in times of crisis both behind bars and those who are not. For me this consists of going on patrol with the officers and assisting in all the activities of a police officer. I’ve been involved in law enforcement chaplaincy since 1989.

After this past couple of days with you all preparing for our pilgrimage, I feel almost like a child waiting for Christmas. This will be a grand experience.

Greetings from Seattle, WA.

Hi everyone. My name is David Shinn. Let me start by telling you a bit about my family. I have a lovely wife named Julie and my boys are Enoch (10), and Ethan (8). While Julie enjoys walks in the temperate rain forest of WA in the Olympic National Park, Enoch enjoys ballet, reading, and of course, video games, and Ethan loves sports and video games. As for me, I love to run. Just two weeks ago, I completed my 6th marathon (second this year) at Eugene, OR.

Now the other info: I am an ordained PCUSA pastor for nearly 12 years. Currently, with the Formula of Agreement, I have been serving an UCC congregation in Seattle, WA called Plymouth Congregational Church. This is an incredible congregation who started a homeless housing project some 20 years ago and now it is an independent housing agency that provides nearly 1000 units of permanent and transitional single apartments. Its model is "one homeless person is one too many." With that spirit, it started another social agency that is providing transitional homes for young people recovering from mental illness. It has been a sucessful ministry to stop the revolving door of mental health crisis. As of recent, the congregation is going through quite a senior pastor transition, 4 in the last 6 years.

I am looking forward to meet all of you. Sorry for the late blog. If I may, since I don't see anyone doing this, let me share a picture with you. See you all very soon.

Greetings from Jim Stewart

Greetings all!
According to a friend, I'm an old fuddy duddy because I don't blog or read blogs. Years ago Presbyterian ministers received a little magazine called, Monday Morning. Essentially, it was a printed blog. I didn't read it either.
I have been a Presbyterian minister since 1987. I'm originally from Iowa. I farmed. The Farm Crisis of the 1980s led me to seminary. I credit Ronald Reagan with making me what I am today - a minister and a Democrat. Most of my ministry has been in small town, rural areas. I've been particularly interested in the theology of the land. I served a church in Clinton, WI for 9 years, then a church in Williamsburg, IA for another 9 years. I briefly served as a temporary supply pastor in a church in Cedar Rapids, IA. That church was flooded in last year's flood. In 2005, in an act of serendipity, I sent my dossier to Danville, KY and accepted a call there.
The Presbyterian Church of Danville is the oldest Presbyterian Church West of the Allghenies. It was begun in 1784. Its history and much of Kentucky's history are intertwined. The church began the first seminary which later moved to Louisville. It also began Centre College. It is an interesting place to be. I have 9 Presbyterian ministers in my congregation, most are retired, one is a retired professor of religion. Some of you may know Beau Weston. He's been on a lot of GA committees and has written extensively about the Presbyterian Church. He sits in the second pew on my left on Sunday mornings. Tom McCullough is one of the ministers. He teaches Biblical archaeology at Centre College and leads groups to Israel. He was there in March. I just spent part of the afternoon with him, picking his brain about this trip.
So it's not your typical church, and sometimes I'm amazed that I'm here. It's never dull.
Danville is a lovely town, a bit atypical of most Kentucky communities. We are in the Bluegrass region, not far from beautiful horse farms. Roads are lined with dry laid rock fences, a product of Scottish settlers and probably slave labor. We are close to a Shaker Village at Pleasant Hill and to Perryville, site of a bloody Civil War battle. The church became a hospital. A monument to the Confederate dead stands in the church yard.
My wife, Shari, is a teacher. We've been married for 33 years. We have three sons, two of whom are married. Our oldest and his wife live in NYC where our daughter-in-law is finishing grad school at Columbia. They'll be moving to D.C. where she has accepted a job working in the government. Our middle son and his wife live in Cedar Rapids. The youngest is getting married this summer after we return from Israel. He works for a congressman in D.C. and his fiance just finished her Teach for America program. They are being married here in Danville, and I'll be doing the service. I conducted the services for the other two.
Going to Israel is also serendipitous for me. Going was simply beyond my imagination or expectation. I'm grateful for the opportunity, and look forward to meeting you next week. Grace & peace, Jim

Susan Gilbert Zencka (Suz)

Hi all,

I am so looking forward both to our pilgrimage and to the retreat in 9 days when we will meet one another and begin to build community.

I serve a Presbyterian congregation in central Wisconsin, in Stevens Point. Being in Stevens Point has made me so much more aware of the junction of geography and culture -- Stevens Point is a university town of about 25,000, along the Wisconsin River among many old pine plantations. You'll see a grove of tall pine trees, and then realize that they're all neatly planted in rows. It has made me all the more eager to see the geography of the Holy Land.

I have been here three years, and love this congregation -- an inclusive Presbyterian congregation of about 300 folks, with particular interests in theology, mission, environment and music.

My husband of 27 years, Carl, and I have 3 sons and a daughter-in-law -- this year began the empty nest time for us. Carl is retired...I met him two careers ago when we were both steelworkers on the south side of Chicago. He then became a police sergeant for Northwestern University for 22 years, while I ignored God's call to ministry (wondering how it would work to be a Presbyterian minister with a Catholic husband) and became a CPA for 10 years.

Eventually, I stopped running away, and have been ordained for 11 years, and served churches in the Chicago area before we moved here. And it works just fine being married to a Catholic husband when one is a Presbyterian minister.

See you soon!
Susan (or Suz, just not Sue please)

Nancy Oehler Love (aka Rev Luv)

I'm a pastor in a rural community where sheep, goats, horses and cattle graze within the town limits (one has to be wary of the chickens that roam)! I never thought that I'd meet the "Love" of my life, my husband of 1 1/2 years, in this tiny town, and certainly not at a tractor pull! It only seemed fitting that his gift to me on our first anniversary was an antique (yes, operable) tractor! I have been blessed with three grown step-children and two beautiful granddaughters.

I have been in Crawfordsville for six years, and this is my first call. Prior to going to seminary (Columbia, in Decatur, GA) I had a 20 year career as a professional violinist and spent about 6 years in Arts Management. I recently dusted off my violin after 10 years and joined the local symphony.

I have been looking forward to this pilgrimage for over a year and would like to express my gratitude to those who are making this possible. It is truly the chance of a lifetime to be able to walk the paths that Jesus walked and pray in the places where Jesus prayed.

Nancy

Greetings from Trisha

Greetings to all our Holy Land Pilgrims and honored guests! I am Trisha Tull, the program director of Louisville Seminary's Holy Land Pastoral Renewal Program. I've been an ordained Presbyterian minister 24 years, a seminary professor 15 years, and a Middle East trip leader 13 years. This will be my ninth time in Israel. So many people dream of going there once. So I feel very privileged to bring other people, to watch them learn, breathe it in, grapple with our religious and cultural past and present, and make the connections between our worship at home and the places where it all began. I look forward not only to introducing you to places, but to people who call themselves the "living stones" who live their daily lives here. Please feel free to share this link with friends, family, parishioners. If anyone not traveling with us is interested in finding out more about our January 2011 Middle East Travel Seminar, please visit: http://www.lpts.edu/TravelSeminar/default.asp.