Maundy Thursday

  • Customary Thursday weights and treadmill workout.
  • Devotions in the cathedral; Morning Prayer in the office.
  • Got right to work on the Easter Vigil and Easter Day bulletins, with several trips across the alley to confer with Bonnie regarding editing, formatting, and printing issues. And when I wasn't in the cathedral office, I was in the sacristy working with Connie Lynn, who virtually *is* the Altar Guild, though she was ably assisted this morning by Warren Swaar. This is the sort of "puttering" into which I am easily drawn.
  • Made some lodging arrangements in connection with a drive to Cincinnati next month for a Forward Movement board meeting.
  • Communicated by email with the senior warden of one of our congregations.
  • Lunch from KFC, eaten at home.
  • More work on the Easter Vigil bulletin, eventually arriving at a printing solution.
  • Took my homily for the Third Sunday of Easter (St John's Chapel, Champaign) from the stage of developed notes to a rough draft.
  • Attended to some final preparatory details for tonight's liturgy.
  • Drove home for a quick visit: changed clothes, read Evening Prayer, grabbed a bite to eat, and took Brenda with me back to the cathedral--she for choir rehearsal, me for liturgy rehearsal with the altar party.
  • Presided and preached at the Maundy Thursday liturgy. The good news: Attendance was more than 40% higher than last year. The bad news: It was still too low, owing to the absence of a permanent priest in residence to light the fire. The best news: The liturgy was celebrated with joyful solemnity, elegance, care, grace, and attention to detail without fussiness. So we were all blessed. And I got to wear a humeral veil, which is always a bonus.

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