Sixth Sunday after the Epiphany

Continuing my strategy of scheduling closer-in parish visits for the winter months, today's trip was to nearby Jacksonville. (Nearby, yet across the 90th longitudinal parallel from Springfield, which means that Jacksonville is closer to the International Dateline while Springfield is closer to Greenwich Mean. Amazing, huh?) It was a joy to worship and interact with the clergy and faithful at Trinity Church. Because of a frozen drain pipe, their parish hall and office area was severely flooded last Thursday. Happily, their Sunday School area (built in the 50s, when Sunday Schools were burgeoning) was able to accommodate a transferred coffee hour. I saw more children and young parents than I had mentally associated with this parish, which seems to be a (happy) trend in many places I go these days.

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