REACHING OUT by TOM LEONARD

                                                                      REACHING OUT

                                                                   by TOM LEONARD

I have been invited to read this poem, during the reception following Reverend Laurene LaFontaine's induction ceremony as our new minister at Broughton St  Mary's Church Edinburgh on 2nd December 2021. We have great hopes for the future.                             

                                                                           

   

                                                         SCHOOLED IN LILAC CITY,

                                                  OUT OF THE PACIFIC NORTH-WEST,

                                                 AND REACHING TO CATCH THE FISH,.

                                         CREATED NEW LIVELY CONGREGATIONS IN COLORADO,

                                      CAMPAIGNED FOR EMBRACEMENT OF DIVERSITY

                                                                      IN MINNESOTA,

                                               O'ER THE MISSISSIPPI LIKE PRINCESS WINONA.

                                           DISCOVERED AN OASIS IN PRESBYTERIAN MAD CITY.

                                            NESTLED IN SNUG DORIANLAND, CALEDONIA,

                                                    SHE REACHES OUT WIDE FOR

                                                              REFORMED ZEALOTS,

                                                            REPENTANT WARRIORS

                                                          DECENT STEINBECKIANS

                                                            BOLD SYLVIA RIVERAS

                                                       STUDIOUS MICHAEL DILLONS

                                      AND GOD'S NATURALLY BORN TWO PERCENT.

                         

                                                  COMING TO THE TEMPLE AT BELLEVUE

                                                IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF ST. PETER THE ROCK

                                            HAUNTED BY THE SPIRITS OF WISHART AND KNOX

                                         SHE WILL INCLUDE EVERYBODY IN AND NOBODY OUT

                                        THAT IS WHY WE WELCOME REV. LAURENE LAFONTAINE.

                                          MORE ABOUT REV. LAFONTAINE                

Laurene is originally from the Pacific Northwest. She attended Whitworth College in Spokane, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Religious Studies & Philosophy. She then attended Princeton Theological Seminary, earning her Master’s of Divinity in 1987. Laurene has lived in Denver for the past 26 years, serving churches, non-profit organizations as well as teaching and coaching at a local college prep high school. In 1991, she became the founding executive director of the AIDS/HIV Interfaith Network of Colorado and then went on to work for LGBT civil rights directing the Voices of Faith Program for Equality Colorado. She taught AP Euro and World History at St. Mary’s Academy in Englewood, Colorado. Since 2000, she has served churches with 50, 300, and 1200 members. She has been a parish associate at Montview Blvd Presbyterian Church since 1991. She has great success with grant writing and fundraising  -------

                                            SPOKANE (LILAC CITY)

                           

                                                       

                                                                        

                                                       Spokane Falls (1888)