Friday

• Out the door by 7:15. Rendezvoused with Archdeacon Denney in Rochester and continued east and south for three hours, arriving in Olney just before 10:30.
• While en route, had a scheduled phone conversation with another candidate for the search process in Champaign (St John's Chapel).
• Met with the one former member of St Alban's, Olney who has helped us keep tabs on the building since the congregation disbanded. He turned over keys and some communion ware. It was sad to hear his narrative not only of how St Alban's declined and died, but how the town and the county are chronically depressed, both economically and, I would say, emotionally. 
• Drove to St Alban's, where we met John-Paul Buzard, a member of St John's Chapel in Champaign and a renowned organ builder. I had recruited him to inspect the organ in St Alban's and give us an opinion as to its salvageability. We went inside, and after just looking around for a bit, we performed the short liturgy for the deconsecration of a church. It was a dark and solemn moment. 
• While John poked around and took pictures, the Archdeacon and I loaded the Episcopal Church flag and several vestments into the back of my vehicle. The silver lining is that I think I can find a good home for the vestments, and the organ, in Mr Buzard's opinion, is worth saving. With some modest investment, it can light up the worship of a church community, hopefully one within our diocese.
• The three of us had a tasty lunch at a Mexican restaurant called El Cactus, and then we headed to our respective homes. After dropping Shawn off in Rochester, I arrived at the diocesan office around 3:45 and unloaded my car. 
• Having left my laptop computer at home this morning, there wasn't much I could do at the office, so I headed home and processed a ton of emails. The operational tempo of my email inbox has been rather accelerated of late.