Maundy Thursday

  • Usual Thursday morning exercise.
  • Morning Prayer in the cathedral.
  • Puttered around with the cathedral altar guild directress in preparation for tonight's liturgy.
  • Worked on tying up the loose ends of a clergy deployment issue.
  • Reported to the Central Illinois Blood Bank for my 11am appointment, only to be eventually turned away because of last November's visit to Tanzania. Donating blood is complicated when one has a well-stamped passport. 
  • Resumed working on, and completed for the time being, the aforementioned clergy deployment issue.
  • Lunch from La Bamba, eaten at home.
  • Put some substantial meat on the bones of a pretty spare outline for a homily on Easter III (May 4 at St Bartholomew's, Granite City).
  • Dealt sequentially with three different administrative issues that have been in the queue for quite some time. Glad to have them checked off
  • Evening Prayer in the cathedral.
  • Puttered around with more preparations, morphing eventually into the scheduled rehearsal with those serving.
  • Presided and preached at the proper liturgy of the day. Attendance was less than stellar (probably due to nobody in particular driving the boat at the cathedral presently), but the essential work got done. It's always been my custom to quietly say something kindly and pastoral to those whose feet I wash. Tonight it was easy. I didn't know in advance who it was going to be, but when I looked at each person who sat down in front of me, it seemed like they were the very ones whose service animates the ministry of the cathedral congregation. The Mass got celebrated and the altar got stripped, of course, but it was in those moments with a pitcher and towel in my hands that Maundy Thursday "happened" for me.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany

Image
Ten years ago, minus about six weeks, I served as the supply priest for Trinity, Lincoln six days before my consecration as Bishop of Springfield. Today I was there for the final regular scheduled canonical parish visitation of my episcopate. (I have a few more gigs on my calendar: March 7 in Mattoon, the Chrism Mass, the Triduum at the cathedral, May 30 in Cairo, and June 27 back at the cathedral--May 2 is available and not yet spoken for--but the every Sunday routine of my life for the past decade (in a larger sense, for the last 32 years) is at a major flex point.) As much as it could have been in the midst of a pandemic, this morning at Trinity was luminous. We confirmed eight adults, six of them qualifying as "young." My homily had to compete with the sounds of active young children. (I would much rather do that than have no kids in church.) Trinity is one of the exciting points of light in my ministry in the diocese. I took my time getting out of Lincoln because I wante...
Read more

Spring 2018 House of Bishops, Day 3

Image
We have new stricter social media rules now in the HOB--no photos taken during a session without the permission of those in it. So ... I'm having to be more creative about finding pics for the blog, because I'm not going to take a panoramic group shot and then contact everyone whose balding head shows in the photo! Once again, the day began with Eucharist. This time, though, I took a pass, and opted for a vigorous walk on a brisk morning. Having looked at the liturgy sheet in advance, there were enough triggers that I knew the net spiritual effect for me would be negative. #selfcare  I will say, however, that HOB worship has gotten incrementally less problematic during the tenure of the current Presiding Bishop, and I give props for that. When we convened at 10:15, there were the usual announcements, then a whirlwind set of summary reports from bishop members of the Standing Committee on Liturgy and Music (SCLM) and the Task Force on the Study of Marriage. The full report...
Read more

Saturday

Out the door at 8:30, headed south. Arrived at St Paul's, Alton at about 10:15. Presided over the installation of the Revd Cindy Sever as Rector of Alton Parish. It was an energetic and lovely ceremony. After the post-liturgical potluck I headed further south still, arriving at St James', Marion in time for their regular Lord's Day celebration, which occurs on the eve thereof. Presided, preached, and laid hands on one person renewing her baptismal vows. Dinner for vestry and spouses at the home of St Andrew's, Carbondale parishioner Trish Guyon, which is always an elegant affair. By now she knows what I like to drink and what I like to eat, so it's pretty special.
Read more