Thursday (St Iranaeus)

  • Up and out in time to retrieve the Chakupewas at 0800 and drive them to Decatur for a breakfast meeting with a well-connected and influential business and civic leader who has broad experience and deep interest in development across Africa, including several trips to Tanzania. While they talked, I had breakfast about a hundred yards away with Deacon Chris Gregory and Fr Dick Swan.
  • Back to Springfield for futile visits to a CVS and Wal*Mart to receive some funds through MondayGram from a friend of the bishop's in Kentucky. Fraud protection protocols were set so high that it just couldn't happen. So I spoke with the Kentucky donor. He agreed to send me a check in the mail and I cashed a discretionary fund check for the same amount and gave the cash to Bishop Elias.
  • Dropped our guests back at the Double Tree and came home for some lunch. 
  • Headed back over to take them on a small shopping expedition, then to the office while I tried to catch up on a few things, mostly trying to intervene pastorally but firmly in a situation in one of our communities that is just getting slightly out of hand.
  • Toward home at 4:45 in the midst of a quite dramatic thunderstorm to retrieve Brenda, then to the Double Tree to retrieve the bishop and Lucy, and bring all to the cathedral. We had a lovely evensong in his honor, followed by a very nice light supper, where Bishop Elias got to share some about the ministry of the Diocese of Tabora.

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