
The story of the Ethiopian eunuch and Philip teaches another lesson from the book of Acts. It’s important for us to act on our faith by remaining curious and embracing the questions we ask about our faith.
Reflections on Discipleship and Humanity
The story of the Ethiopian eunuch and Philip teaches another lesson from the book of Acts. It’s important for us to act on our faith by remaining curious and embracing the questions we ask about our faith.
I got word late the night of May 8 that my friend, Ed Kociela, had died of injuries from a freak accident at home down in his adopted home of San Felipe, Baja California.
Ed thought of that place as paradise, and based on the pictures I saw posted on Facebook from him and Cara, I understand why.
My first recollection of Ed was during my interview to become the editor of The Spectrum & Daily News in St. George, Utah. Ed held the title of senior writer then in the Cedar City bureau, and his task that day was to drive me around in his pickup to introduce me to that part of the coverage area.
He drove me through the town, told me all about the Utah Shakespearean Festival, took me through Parowan and, eventually, his beloved Enoch. He told me he loved living there because it was outside the city and it felt like he had room to roam. He educated me on the culture and gave great advice for a newcomer to Southern Utah.
Ed wrote a column some Cedar City Daily News readers will remember titled “High Country Beat.” It was a mishmash of local events and some quick commentary on tidbits of news happening in the area. And it gave Ed a real connection to the people.
He later served as my city editor, and from my time starting as editor in 2001 until Ed retired in 2011, we and our staff had, perhaps, the best run of journalism in the history of Southern Utah. We broke big stories, shared breaking news, had the chance to tell a lot of happy community stories, and generated a lot of discussion with an active opinion page. We won a ton (I don’t remember the actual number) of Associated Press awards for coverage, including two regional awards against the “big dogs” from Salt Lake City, Boise, and Washington state.
A lot of people thought Ed and I were polar opposites on politics. Some saw me as the center-right voice, but many saw Ed as the “pinko commie.” It was a badge he wore with honor, not because he really liked the idea of communism but because he saw it as his job to speak up for those who had little or no voice. But the reality was we both started in the center — at least by Southern Utah standards — and moved one way or the other based on our consciences at the time.
Because he sometimes spoke truth about circumstances of people not in the predominant culture, some people disliked him. But they didn’t see or interact regularly with the Ed that I knew.
Ed was the one who would ask, “what does that policy do to the family barely making ends meet?” He would ask about how we could be humane as a society to the immigrant.
Ed was the one who spoke up for veterans during editorial board meetings with elected officials in our St. George Boulevard conference room.
Ed was the one who would challenge lawmakers openly about protecting the rights of senior citizens and the disabled.
I saw Ed and Sen. Orrin Hatch, a Republican, have deep, respectful, meaningful debates despite them not agreeing on hardly any political issue.
I saw Ed challenge Rep. Jim Matheson, a Democrat, on votes he took despite them both agreeing on a lot of political issues.
Ed and I cried together when his first wife, Chris, died from cancer. We celebrated when he and his second wife, Cara, were married (by my wife in Snow Canyon State Park, no less).
He and I didn’t talk much after he moved away. We kept up via texts from time to time. We chatted via Facebook. And we kept up on each other’s writings as we both entered second careers (although maybe it was a third or fourth for Ed).
Ed wasn’t a great administrator. He never claimed to be. But he was a heck of a writer. And he understood what it meant to connect with people and to stick up for the little guy.
That’s what I hope the readers in the St. George area remember most about him. They may not have agreed with him on some of his commentaries. But whether they liked him or not, he was always on their side.
Todd Seifert served as editor of The Spectrum & Daily News from 2001 to 2015. He serves as communications director of the Great Plains Conference of The United Methodist Church, assisting more than 750 churches throughout Kansas and Nebraska.
As we explore what the book of Acts has to teach the church today, we explore what it means to speak boldly for Jesus in the world today. And, yes, we are all capable of speaking up for Christ.
We begin a multi-week series on the book of Acts. We’ll look at the book as a sequel to the Gospel of Luke and a continuation of Jesus teaching how to lift up the lowly, engage the outcast, and embrace the outlaw.
In this first episode we look at 3 lessons Jesus taught during his ascension to Heaven.
On the 100th day of Bishop David Wilson’s tenure as bishop of the Great Plains Conference, he shares in a discussion with Todd what he’s been up to so far in Kansas and Nebraska, as well as plans for the weeks and months ahead.
One of the biggest disruptions in the life of the church in the past few decades was clearly the COVID-19 pandemic. I suppose you could make an argument that it’s still causing disruption.
The Congregational Excellence team of the Great Plains Conference wants to help clergy and laity process what has happened, come to grips with our current reality and, — and this is most important — realize there is hope for the future.
So in late April and early May, author Rev. Rebekah Simon-Peter will be making a book tour with workshops in five Great Plains cities — North Platte and Columbus in Nebraska, and Ottawa, McPherson and Hays in Kansas.
Rebekah Simon-Peter is chief visionary for Rebekah Simon-Peter Coaching and Consulting Incorporated, which has a flagship program titled “Creating a Culture of Renewal.”
The event she is facilitating with us in the Great Plains is Lessons from Pandemics Past. Rebekah — whom some of you likely will remember from our episode previewing the Laity Summit in March — will be sharing some of the insights she learned from her work and from the research for her newest book, “Forging a New Path: Moving the Church Forward in a Post-Pandemic World.”
CCLI and similar licensing services allow for churches to make song sheets, project lyrics and use other tools to enhance worship. Their efforts support the composers whose work we use while also protecting churches from copyright concerns. Todd talks with two representatives from CCLI, who explain how they work and what CCLI and other similar organizations do.
One of the newer traditions in the Great Plains Conference is our annual Laity Summit. Guests in this episode include Lisa Maupin, conference lay leader, and Rev. Rebekah Simon-Peter, our keynote speaker for this day dedicated to training and education specifically for laity. The 2023 edition is scheduled for March 18. And it’s completely online, using Zoom, so you can participate from anywhere in Kansas or Nebraska — or the world for that matter.
The theme this year is “And They Dreamed.”
You can learn more and register by going to www.greatplainsumc.org/laity-summit.
Our world today is filled with anxiety, and the church is not immune. The Rev. Bill Selby recognized that long ago and launched what is known as the Center for Pastoral Effectiveness. He has made it his ministry to help pastors better navigate anxiety and improve connections with congregants and their communities.
The Space at the Table event in mid-November talked about the bright future of The United Methodist Church and featured Rev. Dr. Mike Slaughter, panels of young clergy, academics and bishops, and discussion about how to strengthen the Black church. This episode features excerpts and brief interviews from the venue in Dallas.