The Lord's Day (VIII Pentecost)

A long day. Out of the Hilton Garden O'Fallon in time to preside and preach a combined 0930 liturgy at St George's, Belleville. Met (spread out all over the nave) afterward with the MLT and the head of the search team, as they are now at the "getting serious" stage of their transition. Hit the road northbound around 1145, headed for Trinity Chapel in Alton, where I met Mother Cindy Sever and retrieved my alb bag and its contents, which I had left there on Pentecost, and then they suffered smoke damage from the fire at St Paul's and had to be cleaned. The handoff happened at 1230 and continued in a northerly direction for a 3pm meeting with the MLT of St Matthew's, Bloomington (in their parish hall, with everyone literally having an entire round table to themselves, so we were well-distanced), followed by a 4:30 special Eucharist with one adult confirmation,. I presided, but Fr Halt preached, as it was the occasion of his leave-taking from a ten-and-a-half year tenure as rector of St Matthew's. A bittersweet time. Pulled out of the parking lot around 6:00, and, with a stop for a sandwich at Portillo's in Normal, and for gas along the way, it was a little past 9:00 before I got home ... tired, for sure, but grateful to have this ministry. I do enjoy it so.

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