Thursday

  • Customary Thursday morning weights and treadmill.
  • Morning Prayer at home, after which I dealt expeditiously with a couple of newly-arrived emails.
  • Prepared the common area of the Roundhouse for an 11am gathering.
  • Began initial work on my homily at the synod Mass next month, but then got distracted trying to chase down some anomalies in the electronic versions of the liturgy booklet that are circulating.
  • Between 11:00am and 1:30ish I hosted and participated in a meeting of diocesan clergy who lead pastoral or program-size parishes, all in a continuing effort to vet and carefully weigh both the missional and the financial implications of the nascent plan to add a Canon for Mission Development position to the diocesan staff. The conversation got a little visceral at points, as anything involving money is bound to get. But even difficult conversation is necessary conversation ... probably all the more so precisely because it is difficult.
  • Met briefly with Fr Wetmore, the host rector, and Fr Hankinson, the MC, about some details of the synod liturgy.
  • Took a substantive phone call from a priest outside the diocese who had an important matter to bring to my attention.
  • Attended to some more late-arriving email.
  • Debriefed a short bit with the Archdeacon regarding the clergy meeting.
  • Participated in a conference call for members of a special working group of the Living Church Foundation board.
  • Returned a phone call from Fr Evans, our Finance Department chair, over still more issues flowing from the clergy meeting.
  • Took a short walk around a roughly one block radius of the office.
  • Got back to my synod homily, and arrived at a basic sense of direction, which was my goal at this point.
  • Turned my attention to my state-of-the-diocese address at synod, and moved a broad sketch to becoming a rough outline.
  • Put some meat on the bones of a rough outline of a sermon for Proper 20 (September 21 at Trinity, Mt Vernon).
  • Blew through three or four action items on my list that turned out to be simpler than I had anticipated.
  • Evening Prayer in the cathedral.
  • This was an intense day.

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