Last Sunday

Well it finally came, the Sunday that in which our Senior Pastor over the past 17 years at University Presbyterian Church moved on to the next chapter in his Pastoral Career. Pastor Earl Palmer will be missed by many of us in the congregation. He has family members like Sheryl his wife, his three his grown children and grandchildren, not to mention a broad network of personal and professional friends that will continue to support and encourage him in his endeavors to be an invited guest speaker or preacher reserved probably for the next couple of years yet to come.

We as a congregation have enjoyed and were blessed by his ability to master the art of holding an audience focus with his customized sermons, that were filled with passion for the truth, conviction to become obedient, humor, professional and personal experiences, sound theology, poems and quotes from the likes of Bart, Lewis and Pascal.

He was the Senior Pastor at First Presbyterian Church in Berkeley, CA. for about twenty years, prior to it was appointed Senior Pastor at a small Presbyterian Church in the Phillippines for about six years, and prior to it was the Youth Pastor for UPC. An former undergraduate from U.C. Berkeley, and a Seminar graduate from Princeton University, and who also currently holds a seat or their Senior Board of Directors.

A noble and honorable man, nonetheless a bold and integral preacher that won't ever be forgotten, and will continue to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ.

I believe current pastors that remains on the UPC Pastoral Staff with most time in service would be Pastor Tim Snow, Pastor Ray Moore, Pastor Dave, Pastor Kate and Pastor Rene'e. I pray for them, and all other pastors that now make up the UPC pastoral staff. (George, Jeff, John, Ken etc...)

Michelle, my ex-wife may have been there at UPC last night; once the last benediction by Pastor Earl at UPC was over I worked my way around that back end of the church as usual to my awaiting care, and notice a brunette in black, about the same height as Michelle, 30 feet away. I don't rudely stare at women in the dark, so I continued on my way and crossed the parking lot as she passed behind me. Nothing was said between us, and it's unfortunate that I'm I'm nearsighted, color blind or with bad night vision; nor did it help that my night night driving glasses was in my car at that moment. So I really couldn't make out with clarity her facial features at a glance from a distance that far away. But if it was Michelle my ex-wife last night in that parking lot, I wish she would have took the initiative to identify me, or said something to reveal that she did recognize me.

Well, maybe next time. If it was her, than it's indicative as to where we'll most probably meet again in the near future.

The common things about Pastor Earl Palmer and Michelle, my ex-wife is that they both attended U.C. Cal Berkeley as undergraduate and graduated in their perspective major programs. The other is that they both were members of the First Presbyterian Church in Berkeley, CA. Although she was a member of the church while he was positioned as their Senior Pastor then. So she knew him before I even started dating her back in the early nineties, or even before I became a member at UPC. A time when Pastor Earl had just made the transition back up to UPC in 1991 from CAL, this was about the time I became a member of UPC. A few years later Michelle started attending UPC with me as my wife then, and appeared relatively comfortable or content with the idea in continuing to have Earl as her Senior Presbyterian Pastor once again.

Michelle will miss Pastor Earl Palmer just as much I will, I'm certain of it!

Most Sincere,
Mickey Tovio Scanlan