It went well

 He's a good guy, even if he is a Diocesan Canon!

He preached, without notes and standing in the middle of the aisle. He distributed the wafers and I gave healing oil. He took a picture of everyone there after the service and gave the forgiveness of sins.

Good guy at coffee hour, chatting well and touching some people with his graciousness.

We left at the same time.

I liked him a lot--not something I usually say about Diocesan folks!

A good day and I was glad to share it with him.

Maybe I shouldn't be so suspicious of Diocesan folks....

I think I'm ready

 

 Sunday we have a member of the Bishop's staff visiting Trinity.

I'm always a little anxious when Diocesan folks are around.

I think they're evaluating me--but that's most likely just me imagining.

He's a nice guy. He'll preach and I'll celebrate and he can see how 'low church' an Episcopal priest can be!

Actually, since I never go to other churches, I'm not sure where my practices are on the high church/low church scale. Just know for sure no one will think me Anglo-Catholic!

It should go fine. There has been lots of news about it in Trinity's newsletters.

Hope we have a good crowd.

Wish us luck....

Long Thursday

(They did pick up the trash Wednesday morning! Stubborn behavior pays off sometimes....)

I went for a Cat-Scan (whatever that is) today.

It took nearly 2 hours.

First I got a shot to do something to me and sat for half-an-hour, then went to a weird place in the hospital and sat some more.

Then I got into the machine. I'm lucky I'm not claustrophobic or else I would have been screaming half-way through.

It took so long that I peed my pants.

When they let me out I was as far from my car as I could be.

I sat on a pillow on the way home to keep the driver's seat dry.

I rushed in to change my pants and underwear and put on dry ones.

Quite a day....

I don't recommend it.

Shalom, Jim

 

I took out the garbage today

 I know, after yesterday's late realization that it was Columbus Day that the garbage won't be picked up tomorrow.

But I put it out anyway.

I'm nothing if not stubborn.

Ok, two more things that bug me--besides not remembering holidays

1) kids walking down the street looking at their phones. I have a dumb phone and I like it like that.

2) men my age in shorts and short sleeved shirts while I have on a shirt, a sweater and a coat.

Aren't they chilly? And aren't those kids watching out for traffic?

Some things just confuse me.

Columbus Day is also Indiginous People Day (which I can't spell) but it seems like a good thing to remember: those who were here already when the white men 'discovered' America...

White men get too much credit for all kinds of things....

Who knew?

The staff of the library knew. It was closed when I went to get new books and drop off 4 I'd read. I put the old books in the slot and was so upset I took the copy of the New York Times outside the closed door.

(I felt so guilty about that I took the newspaper back without having taken it out of the plastic bag....)

The post office knew because there was no mail today.

The garbage collector knew because there was no pick up today.

The teacher in line behind me knew because she had the day off to go to Big Y and stock up.

So, why didn't I know it was Columbus Day.

Bern knew.

I looked on my calendar and it wasn't there--it's an Episcopal calendar so maybe Episcopalians don't celebrate Columbus Day.

Maybe I just don't pay close enough attention....

 

Church was very good today

 Trinity Church was in good form today.

Great hymns--and the Postlude was "The Sound of Silence" on the piano. I could have listened for an hour it was so good!

My sermon went over well and several people told me today's lessons were hard to figure out so the earlier sermon was fine.

Coffee hour, as always was tasty and high spirited.

We also did a healing service after the confession and absolution.

Some people tell me what they want healed and one person said, "my hatred of Trump is distracting me too much."

Afterwards I told that person I need the same healing....

The folks there are wonderful and everyone was talking about missing Ann, whose funeral was last week.

I miss her too and hope she has met God and is at peace.

Church does me good--but driving 30 miles through the rain both ways doesn't do me good....

Is this a cop-out?

 I struggled to write a sermon on the reading of the week.

I didn't like the readings and couldn't seem to find positive ways to speak about them.

So, I'm going to use a sermon I wrote several weeks ago and church was cancelled because of a threatening storm.

Is that a cop-out?

Probably, but it's what I'm going to do.

Wish me luck getting away with it....