Moving Diagonally

The big rock today was a nearly two-hour meeting with the Standing Committee and our mediator, which generated odds and ends of other communications. The good news is that we have reached a substantive agreement in principle, with only the proverbial fine print remaining to be settled. An announcement might realistically be expected by the middle of next week. It will be good to have this energy-sapping experience in the rear view mirror. Apart from this sad enterprise, it was a typical Tuesday, which means I got caught up on administrative and pastoral tasks generated over the weekend. 

Showed up at St Michael's, O'Fallon well ahead of their regular 0930 Sunday liturgy--except it hasn't been so regular lately: this was the first time they have offered in-person worship since the lockdown has eased. There were 20 in attendance, all having indicated their presence in advance. The leadership did an excellent job taping off access to pews so as to ensure appropriate physical distancing. It was a joy to be with them for the occasion, and I could tell they were quite happy to be moving back in the direction toward normal. Still a long way to go, though.

St Michael’s, O’Fallon -- Matthew 10:40–42   Jesus is very popular these days in church circles. That may seem like a ridiculous thing to say, but it hasn’t always been the case in recent decades. Oh, it’s generally been OK to talk about God. But, among Episcopalians at any rate, to mention the name of Jesus, except when reading from or preaching on a passage from the gospels, was, for a good long while, a little ... awkward. The dominant emphasis has been on social concerns: issues of peace and justice—you know, almost as if it were one word, peaceandjustice. Most Episcopal Church sermons were shot through, at least implicitly, with the word “should.” We should be getting out there and making the world a better place, a more peaceful place, a more just place. Jesus just didn’t get mentioned very much. Then, maybe twenty years ago or so, there were those WWJD bracelets: “What would Jesus do?” When Michael Curry became the Presiding Bishop five years ago, even Episcopalians joined...

Packed for an overnight and his the road southbound at 0930. While en route , had a substantive phone conversation with the senior warden of a Eucharistic Community that will soon be in pastoral transition. Arrived in Springfield right on time for my 1pm red cell donation appointment at the blood bank. That took about an hour. Grabbed a burger at Freddy's, then headed to the office. Did all the finish work on my homily for tomorrow. Attended by email to a handful of smaller tasks that have been piling up for a few days. Prayed the evening office in the cathedral. Got back in the YFNBmobile, and, with a stop for a chicken sandwich in Litchfield, arrived at the Hilton Garden Inn in O'Fallon around 7:45. Dismayed to see large numbers of children and adults (part of a traveling sports league, evidently) milling about enthusiastically, neither wearing masks nor keeping a physical distance. I would hate to see the lovely recent infection curve in Illinois head back in the wrong direc...

The bigs stuff: Attended the regular summer meeting of the Department of Finance, the task of which is to draft a proposed operating budget for the coming calendar year. We didn't quite meet that goal, for various reasons, so we're going to get together again in early August. Developed a rough draft of a homily for Proper 9 (July 5 at St John's, Decatur). Smaller stuff: Witnessed the signing of the Declaration of Conformity to the doctrine, discipline, and worship of the Episcopal Church on the part of a priest who was last canonically resident in Springfield before serving one of the African provinces. He is now called to serve in the Diocese of Central Florida. Made some decisions about committee assignments at the next diocesan synod. Responded to sundry emails and text messages.

Devotions, intercessions, and Morning Prayer in the cathedral around 0715. Finished breaking camp in my office and headed to the Hardee's drive-through for a pork-and-gravy biscuit. (Yes, that's a thing.) Stopped for gas right before getting on I-55 and took the opportunity to dial in to the 0845 board meeting of the Society of King Charles the Martyr. That kept me occupied for about an hour and got me most of the way to Bloomington. Then it was back to an action-adventure audio book, which always does a brilliant job making the miles fly by. Home right at noon, when it was then time to join (via Zoom) a meeting of the House of Bishops. This lasted right around an hour. Needed some time to decompress. Hung out a bit with family in the back yard. Then took a long walk through the neighborhood with Brenda on a gorgeous afternoon. I had a task list looking at me, but I never actually got to it. There was just a thick pile of little things--too little to late-arriving to have even ...

Got my day organized and otherwise situated. Then, packed for one night away and headed out the door at 10am. While en route , I connected to an extended meeting of the Province V bishops (via audio only, of course). With a gas stop and a lunch stop, I arrived on the west side of Springfield about four hours later, and was overjoyed to be able to get a haircut for the first time since late February! Then back to the office to change clothes and sign/seal an ordinations certificate. Took a phone call from a Senior Warden. At 3:45 I headed south to Carlinville, where, at a 5pm liturgy with a very small guest list and everyone in masks, I ordained Professor Carter Aikin to the transitional diaconate. Despite the restrictions (not being able to sing being the most onerous), it was an utterly joyful occasion. After a bit of outdoor and distanced visiting, it was back to Springfield for me, with dinner from the drive-through at Chick-Fil-A. Camped out at the residence I maintain here (aka my...