Wednesday (Thomas Ken)

  • Usual weekday AM routine. Morning Prayer in the cathedral.
  • Took care of some administrative details pertaining to one of our Eucharistic Communities that is presently in a regular relationship with a supply priest.
  • Played with hot wax: Signed and sealed the certificate by which I will, tomorrow evening, receive Donald Schranz into presbyteral orders in the Episcopal Church.
  • Saw to some details regarding Saturday's Chrism Mass--mostly, creating a large-print ceremonial binder for my own use.
  • Substantive visit with Dean Hook on a range of issues.
  • Worked on refining and editing my Palm Sunday homily. (I'll be at the cathedral for all of Holy Week, through Easter morning.)
  • Broke for lunch from McD's eaten at home.
  • Completed the homiletical work I began before lunch.
  • Sat with (and walked with, and wrestled with) my exegetical notes on the gospel for Easter III, on which I will be preaching at St Thomas', Salem, trying to listen for a message statement from which to develop a sermon. Of all the phases of sermon prep, this is the one that is the most like giving birth, I would imagine. It certainly does constitute labor! It took walking several laps around the nave of the cathedral, but a way forward eventually emerged. God is always faithful.
  • Responded by email to some questions from the powers-that-be for Province V about what our priorities and goals are in the diocese, what we're doing to accomplish the same, what's working and not working, and what help we need.
  • Read and responded to an email from a priest of another communion who wishes to start discussions on having his orders received in the Episcopal Church. There's a canonical process for that, which I laid out for him. 
  • Read a long hand-written missive from a lay communicant in the diocese that asked for absolutely nothing. The author was just sharing a witness of lifetime of experience of God's intimate involvement in his life. It was actually quite moving.
  • Evening Prayer in the office.

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