On my way to the Hall of Fame

I always knew that someday I'd be on the road to Cooperstown.  That's where I'm headed today for two days before the Center for Progressive Renewal's Leadership retreat in PA.  On Sunday, July 31, we worshipped with the congregation of Zion UCC in Tonawanda, NY.  They recently returned from a West Virginia Mission trip and worship centered around that experience.  The Pastor's message focused on the UCC's "Mission1" objectives linking the idea with the feeding of the five thousand story.  When the disciples asked Jesus to send the people away,  he responded by telling the disciples, "You give them something to eat."  We like to think that poverty is someone else's problem.  Jesus made it clear through words and actions that we are to be about the work of restoring dignity to those who keep getting sent away.

Our signature reveals a lot about us.  When I graduated from high school, they asked us how we wanted our diploma's and announcements to read.  I thought that including my middle name would make my signature too long and I didn't want to lose my middle name altogether so I simply went with the initial "S."  Through the years, I kept the "S".  It stands for "Sanborn".  In school I had to explain to the other kids why my middle name is not "William" or "Lee" or "John" or "Edward".  I received my Paternal Grandmother's maiden name.  Her family came from Western New York state where a town is named "Sanborn" after Rev. Ebeneezer Sanborn (my Grandmother's Great Grandfather).  We spent some time with distant cousins in Sanborn who  actually had hand written notes from that generation.  The also directed me to the graves of my Great Grandfather and mother Charles G. Sanborn and Helen Goff Sanborn. 

I can't post pictures from the road, but will add them when I return to Wooster next weekend.  We plan to stop at a park near the finger lakes today and then on to Cooperstown.