Ash Wednesday

  • Morning Prayer in the cathedral. (Glad not to have to travel any further north on Second Street, since it was already blocked off in anticipation of POTUS's appearance before the legislature.
  • Sat down, prayerfully focuses, and pulled thoughts together by way of preparing to preach tonight at Holy Trinity, Danville.
  • Took a call from my cardiologist's office letting me know that my stress test on Monday came out within the range of normal. Comforting, yes. But the mystery of my symptoms remains.
  • Completed an online survey of bishops at the request of Episcopal Relief & Development.
  • Responded to a consent request from the Diocese of Los Angeles for the election of a Bishop Coadjutor. I consented.
  • Wrote a substantive email to Bishop Alejandro Meco of the proto-Diocese of Arequipa, Peru.  I did this in Spanish, so it was a time-consuming task. (Yes, I used some online assistance, but you have to be careful with those tools, or you can end up sounding pretty silly.)
  • Scanned and otherwise disposed of accumulated hardcopy in my physical inbox.
  • Left for home around 12:15. Rested and read (a novel) for a while.
  • Wrote a note of encouragement to a lay person in the diocese who faces the same sort of surgery I went through three years ago.
  • Read an academic submission from a person involved in the ordination process.
  • Began to revise and extend the draft policy statement on diaconal ministry in light of discussions held at the clergy retreat last week.
  • Broke my Ash Wednesday fast for a bowl of chicken soup.
  • Spent some routine time with my french horn.
  • Gathered the items I needed to have with me in Danville, and headed that direction around 4:30, Brenda at my side.
  • Presided at the proper liturgy of the day at Holy Trinity. Out of an abundance of caution, preached while seated.
  • Back home going in the neighborhood of 10:30.

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