Monday

The day had a leisurely start. Nice relaxed waterside outdoor breakfast with Brenda at the hotel restaurant. Then I met for a couple of hours, also al fresco, with the Dean/President of Nashotah House and the Academic Dean on a variety of matters related to the institution. I reconnected with Brenda and we went on a bit of a death march around downtown Sarasota in search of a stationery item she needed, which we eventually found. About 9000 steps later we were back at the hotel, where we enjoyed a mid-afternoon lunch at the same place where we had eaten breakfast. I then had an opportunity to process a few emails before it was time to dress appropriately and get over to the Church of the Redeemer, It was a packed church and out-of-this-world music and liturgy. The Bishop of Southwest Florida presided generally (since we were in his diocese). I ordained Jason Murbarger and Charleston Wilson to the priesthood. The Bishop of Central Florida ordained David Bumstead. The103rd Archbishop of Canterbury, Lord Carey of Clifton, was the preacher. So here's where you have to follow the bouncing ball: Fr Wilson will become curate at Redeemer. Fr Bumstead, who was raised up in Central Florida, will also be a curate a Redeemer. Fr Murbarger is already serving as curate at Trinity, Vero Beach, which is in the Diocese of Central Florida. Got all that straight? Anyway, it was a four-mitre ceremony, with a net loss of two for the Diocese of Springfield, though we believe very much in the concept of "pay it forward" when it comes to ordaining and deploying clergy, so we expect to receive ample blessings down the road.

Tomorrow is a "play day" for Brenda and me in sunny Sarasota, and Wednesday we'll be traveling home, so I'll go dark in this venue until Thursday.