While bishops in the United Methodist Church are elected for life, every four years there are Jurisdictional Conferences that make decisions regarding our bishops.  We are part of the Western Jurisdiction.  At Jurisdictional Conference, the Annual Conferences of the Western U.S. send delegates to elect new bishops, if needed.  At the same time, decisions are made as to where all bishops will be appointed.  Most bishops are moved after two four-year terms.
 
Our own Bishop Minerva Carcano has served our Desert Southwest Annual Conference for eight years.  The Jurisdictional Conference has chosen to send Bishop Carcano to California and we will be receiving a new bishop, one who has been serving in the Oregon-Idaho Annual Conference for the last eight years.
 
Bishop Bob Hoshibata comes to us with a wealth of experience, both as a pastor and a bishop.  Bishop Hoshibata was born and raised in Hawaii.  From 1970 until his appointment as District Superintendent in Seattle in 1998, he served churches in Connecticut, Hawaii, California, and Washington.  His involvement in our denomination is outstanding and his election as Bishop in 2004 was a surprise to no one.
 
Most important here in the Desert Southwest is Bishop Hoshibata's deep love of Christ and his commitment to making our denomination into all that Christ would have us be.
 
I am sure we will be given opportunities to meet Bishop Hoshibata and his wife, Greta, as they begin their ministry here in the Desert Southwest beginning September 1.
 
Will you join me in praying for them and for our churches during this time of transition?
 
Blessings,
 
Pastor Pam

We had some many requests for the recipes from our dinner on Maundy Thursday it was decided that we publish them on the website for everyone, so here you go.
 
 
Chicken Al'a Arrants  (Parmesan Herb Chicken)
2 cups grated Parmesan Cheese
1/4 minced Fresh Parsley
2 Tablespoons Dried Oregano
2 teaspoons Paprika
1 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Pepper
12 Bone-In Chicken Breast Halves
1 cup Butter or Margarine, melted
 
In a shallow dish combine the first six ingredients.  Dip chick in butter, then coat with Parmesan mixture.  Place in two greased 15 x 10 x 1 inch baking pans.  Bake uncovered at 350 degrees F.  for 40-45 minutes or until the juices run clear.
 
Yield:  12 servings
 
 
Easy Pilaf
Prep. Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Ready In:  50 minutes
Servings:  6
 
2 Tablespoons Butter
1 Onion, chopped (or Scallions)
1 cup uncooked White Rice
2 cups Chicken Broth
1 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Salt-Free Seasoning Blend (optional)
 
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Prepare a 1 quart baking dish with butter or nonstick spray.
 
Melt the Butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Fry the onion in the butter until translucent, 3 to 5 minutes.  Stir in the rice; cook until the rice is slightly golden.  Pour in the Chicken Broth.  Season with the Salt and Seasoning.  Simmer another 5 minutes.  Transfer to the prepared baking dish.
 
Bake, covered in the preheated oven until the broth is completely absorbed 35 to 40 minutes.  Fluff with a fork to serve.
 
 
 
Cinnamon Peaches with Sugar Biscuits
Prep. Time:  5 minutes
Cook Time:  10 minutes
 
Yield:  4 Servings
 
1 Small Tube (4 per Tube) Large Biscuits
2 Tablespoons Granulated White Sugar
1 can Sliced Peaches in Heavy Syrup
1/2 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
 
Whipped Cream
 
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
 
Place Biscuits on a cookie sheet and sprinkle with Sugar.  Bake at 425 degrees F. for 10 minutes or until golden at edges.
 
Heat Peaches seasoned with Cinnamon and Nutmeg over low heat in a small saucepan.
 
Split warm Biscuits and fill with spoonfuls of warm Peaches.  Top with sugared Biscuit top and serve with lots of Whipped Cream.

Friends:  This is a piece that my sister-in-law found on the Internet.
What a great message for all!
 

I envy Kevin.  My brother, Kevin, thinks God lives under his bed.  At least that's what I heard him say one night.  He was praying out loud in his dark bedroom, and I stopped to listen, 'Are you there, God?' he said.  'Where are you?  Oh, I see.  Under the bed...'  I giggled softly and tiptoed off to my own room.  Kevin's unique perspectives are often a source of amusement.
 
But that night something else lingered long after the humor.  I realized for the first time the very different world Kevin lives in.  He was born 30 years ago, mentally disabled as a result of difficulties during labor.  Apart from his size (he's 6-foot-2), there are few ways in which he is an adult.
 
Kevin reasons and communicates with the capabilities of a 7-year-old, and he always will.  He will probably always believe that God lives under his bed, that Santa Claus is the one who fills the space under our tree every Christmas and airplanes stay up in the sky because angels carry them.  I have always wondered if Kevin realizes he is different.  Is he ever dissatisfied with his monotonous life?
 
Up before dawn each day, Kevin is off to work at a workshop for the disabled, comes home to walk our Cocker Spaniel, returns to eat his favorite macaroni-and-cheese for dinner, and later happily goes to bed.  The only variation in the entire scheme is laundry, when he hovers excitedly over the washing machine like a mother with her newborn child.
 
He never seems dissatisfied.  He lopes out to the bus every morning at 7:05, eager for a day of simple work.  He wrings his hands excitedly while the water boils on the stove before dinner, and he stays up late twice a week to gather our dirty laundry for the next day's laundry chores.
 
And Saturdays - oh, the bliss of Saturdays!  That's the day my Dad takes Kevin to the airport to have a soft drink, watch the planes land, and speculate loudly on the destination of each passenger inside.  'That one's goin' to Chi-car-go!'  Kevin shouts as he claps his hands.  His anticipation is so great he can hardly sleep on Friday nights.
 
And so goes his world of daily rituals and weekend field trips.  He doesn't know what it means to be discontent.  His life is simple.  He will never know the entanglements of wealth or power, and he does not care what brand of clothing he wears or what kind of food he eats.  His needs have always been met, and he never worries that one day they may not be.
 
His hands are diligent.  Kevin is never so happy as when he is working.  When he unloads the dishwasher or vacuums the carpet, his heart is completely in it.  He does not shrink from a job when it is begun, and he does not leave a job until it is finished.  But when his tasks are done, Kevin knows how to relax.  He is not obsessed with his work or the work of others.  His heart is pure.
 
Kevin still believes everyone tells the truth, promises must be kept, and when you are wrong, you apologize instead of argue.  Free from pride and unconcerned with appearances, Kevin is not afraid to cry when he is hurt, angry or sorry.  He is always transparent, always sincere.
 
And he trust God.  Not confined by intellectual reasoning, when he comes to Christ, he comes as a child.  Kevin seems to know God - to really be friends with Him in a way that is difficult for an 'educated' person to grasp.  God seems like his closest companion.
 
In my moments of doubt and frustrations with my Christianity, I envy the security Kevin has in his simple faith.  It is then that I am most willing to admit that he has some divine knowledge that rises above my mortal questions.  It is then I realize that perhaps he is not the one with the handicap.  I am.  My obligations, my fear, my pride, my circumstances - they all become disabilities when I do not trust them to God's care.
 
Who knows if Kevin comprehends things I can never learn?  After all, he has spent his whole life in that kind of innocence, praying after dark and soaking up the goodness and love of God.  And one day, when the mysteries of heaven are opened, and we are all amazed at how close God really is to our hearts, I'll realize that God heard the simple prayers of a boy who believed that God lived under his bed.
 
Kevin won't be surprised at all!
Can't we all be a bit more like Kevin?
 
Blessings,
Pastor Pam