Wednesday

  • More email processing and task organizing at home.
  • Morning Prayer in the cathedral.
  • Took a phone call from my colleague and old friend Bishop Ed Little. We both served together as rectors in the Diocese of San Joaquin in the latter half of the 1990s. Yesterday the bishop under whom we served, John-David Schofield, died suddenly, but peacefully, at his home in Fresno. He touched both our lives in significant ways.
  • Connected by phone with Fr John Henry in Carlinville, having just learned of this morning's passing of Fr Wayne Shippley. My trip to Tanzania will prevent me from taking part in the funeral next week, but it will be in the capable hands of Fr John.
  • Returned a call from the rector of the Church of the Redeemer in Sarasota, FL, where I am taking part in an ordination in December. Just getting some of the details nailed down.
  • Sorted through the detritus--both physical and electronic--of last week's Nashotah House board of trustees meeting and plotted further actions --balls I need to put in play so we can keep our momentum.
  • Attended to some chores related to those making their way through the ordination process. My own journey down that road 30ish years ago was kind of rough. I hope that gives me a degree of empathy in dealing with others for whom it is not silky smooth.
  • Made a phone call to one of our rectors to enlist his assistance in a pastoral project in another parish.
  • Lunch from KFC, eaten at home.
  • Drafted and sent a couple of relatively short but important emails wearing my Nashotah House hat.
  • Took care of a couple of necessary tasks related to the upcoming visit of a newly-retired priest whom we are hoping will help us out with a couple of our smaller Eucharistic Communities.
  • Fleshed out a rough draft of a homily for Proper 28 (November 17 at St Laurence, Effingham).
  • Made a reservation to park my car in an off-airport lot this Saturday evening as we embark from O'Hare to Tanzania.
  • Settled down for some long-delayed but now necessary reading ahead of the the Tanzania trip.
  • Roughed out my 2014 visitation calendar. After we've gotten a couple of more sets of eyes on it, we'll make it public.
  • Evening Prayer in the cathedral.

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