Monday, January 21, 2008

That Was the Weekend that Was...

At the moment high-intensity "fixin'" continues in the kitchen just down the corridor from my office. Vestry meets tonight and I have yet to amend the agenda and write up the Rector's Report. Main agenda item will be the budget for this year. It's a good one, I think; I'm hoping that it will be approved without too much acrimony.

Saturday somehow evaporated on me...a meeting in the morning of about a half-dozen people trying to form a book group, some in the parish and some not...various proposals revealing what I hope is NOT a fatal incongruency of expectations and agendas...maybe because I was the only gurrrrrl at the table, I was very much aware of territoriality ploys...or thought I was. Anyhow in the upshot we gently declined to take on the 900 page theo-socio-philosophical masterwork. And opted for Rupert Shortt's anthology, God's Advocates: Christian Thinkers in Conversation. Somehow in the process I became the person-in-charge of getting the books. Also the person-in-charge of making coffee. Words fail me...

Then I had a very happy interview with a delightful couple planning to be married in August. The groom's my-uncle-the-priest will be asked to participate in the service. FINE by me.

And so, eventually, home. Yesterday was a marathon, though; two communion services in the morning; there was "time for healing prayer" at the second one, but no takers, good! I take it that that means everyone feels hale and hearty. Then a parishioner made a presentation on ecclesiological understandings arising out of the South African experience of the last hundred years, with reflections from St. Augustine on the "two cities." Then it was time to run, with communion kit and all, to a seniors' residence for the monthly service there with the usual half-dozen faithful ladies.

Trying to be efficient, I had packed "gear" for the final stop of the day, the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity city-wide service (of course, at a church on the opposite edge of the city!) at seven o'clock. Being "The Anglican" on the committee, and in the program, I went the High-and-Lifted-Up Evensong route: cassock, surplice, academic hood, tippet. The Protestant clergy all were in dark suits, fair enough (though a Geneva gown would not have been out of place); but to my dismay the Roman Catholic and the Ukrainian Catholic, who can usually be counted on for suitably flashy haberdashery, also opted for plain dark suits. So there we were. A long row of undertakers, and one old woman apparently channeling Archbishop Laud. Sigh.

Never mind, the service went well, the readers read audibly and with understanding, a working projector was pressed into service at the last minute, the turnout was gratifying, the praise band "didn't suck" (apologies for that highly technical musicological jargon), and the coffee afterward was just excellent. As might have been foreseen; when over half the congregants' names begin with "Van," somehow, good coffee is one of the givens, right? Or am I just profiling, here?

Back to the writing of reports...and some office-cleaning by way of R and R.

11 comments:

Annie's Mom said...

Archbishop Laud... LOL!

Crimson Rambler said...

well, it was somewhat embarrassing!

Cathy said...

:) it's ok -- wear it proudly!

Surely you are not put in charge of getting the books and setting up the coffee without you agreeing to it! ACK!

Sally said...

goodness, and you have time to blog??? welcome to revgals

Crimson Rambler said...

well cathy you know the problem...if I want coffee (and I do) and I want the books to arrive (and I do)...there's only one way to make sure that happens...as I am dealing with the "let there be books, let there be coffee" segment of humanity!

Unknown said...

I adore that line about the undertakers. Heeheehee!
Glad to have you in RevGalBlogPals, CR.

Terri said...

Wear it proudly indeed! (Our group settles on a common vesting before the service, but as we are comprised of one RC priest, one Episcopal priest, and one Lutheran pastor it's easy - white alb and stole)...

Next time the group meets you can say - oh it's someone else's turn, I did that last month...and, hard as it is, if the stuff doesn't come or there is no coffee, then we suffer along (oh, and I bring my own cup of Starbucks, just to be safe!)....

cr,

Jan said...

Whew! I'm tired after reading all that you did.

Crimson Rambler said...

Dear sally - life is short and uncertain. Blog first. ;-)

Kathryn said...

That last comment sums up how delighted I am to "meet" you...Thank you for visiting me, and for making me choke over my breakfast orange juice! And welcome to revgals. I suspect we're going to find ALOT in common :-)

Christine said...

Profile away! As someone with a number of "Vans" in her immediate ancestry, I'm pleased to hear you were treated to the drink of my people.