Friday (William White)

  • Out of the house on the early side (leaving tile grouters and tree surgeons already at work), because I at an appointment right at 9:00.
  • Morning Prayer in the office.
  • Met wit Br Kirt Gerber and his (both biological and religious) Brother Ned Gerber, members of an Anglican Benedictine community with houses in both the U.S. and Australia on a couple of specific concerns of theirs. 
  • At 9:30, I had to take a hiatus from the meeting in order to make a scheduled phone call to Carrie Headington, evangelism officer for the Diocese of Dallas, and presenter at a parish mission workshop we're having here in Springfield in September--styled "Moving Into the Neighborhood."
  • Being an introvert, I am vulnerable to intense meetings and phone conversations. They wear me out. So, since I'm already in I-need-a-vacation mode, I had to blow off some time doing something mentally unchallenging--in this case, reading social media comments on my pastoral letter on marriage. I have a thick skin.
  • Attended to a couple of smallish (but, as always, important) Nashotah-related tasks.
  • Got to work on a third one--not small--namely, writing a routine article for the Michaelmas issue of Nashotah's beautiful magazine, The Missioner. 
  • Lunch from McD's, eaten at home.
  • Finished my Missioner article.
  • Realized that I'm mentally and emotionally running on close to empty. It was not a particularly efficient afternoon. Easily distractible. 
  • Did some planning of details pertaining to the November clergy conference.
  • Performed a routine periodic audit of the general implementation of our diocesan mission strategy. Things are happening slowly, but they are happening well. I'm excited about the September workshop, the November clergy conference, and the parishes undertaking Renewal Works this fall.
  • Prayed the Luminous Mysteries of the rosary in the cathedral, followed by Evening Prayer.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

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

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

Saturday (St Charles, King & Martyr)

Substantive phone conversations with the rector of Lincoln, the President of the Standing Committee, and the Canon-to-the-Ordinary. Attended the live-streamed memorial service for a former clergy colleague, and continuing friend, with whom I was in serious conversation about coming to the diocese less than a year ago, who died quickly of COVID at age 66. Then, earlier than I actually needed to, but wanting to get out of town ahead of the snowstorm, I packed up and headed south to Lincoln, where I had time to do some significant reading before hitting the sack.
Read more