Friday, February 29, 2008

What I Did Today

  • Wrote a sermon about the Blind Man in John 9:1-41. The title was a given: A Visionary Man. I am still not satisfied with the ending
  • Got the church ready for a wedding this afternoon: plugged in and turned on mikes; copied Scripture lesson for reader; got lapel mikes ready for co-officiants; turned on lights; unlocked changing rooms for bridesmaids and groomsmen; put out worship books, etc. etc. etc.
  • Called communion assistants and readers about church Sunday.
  • Scheduled a one to one first communion session with one of our students and his mom
  • Co-officiated at a Leap Day Wedding this afternoon. All week I told myself, "the wedding is Friday, the wedding is Friday", so I wouldn't forget. I didn't forget.
  • Kicked icicles off the front of my car; they make my car look like it has a beard
  • Picked up Chinese food for supper (Bourbon chicken and Lemon chicken)
  • Visited a dying woman in the hospital. We said Psalms 23 and 121. I made the sign of the cross on her forehead.
  • Tried desperately to upload a video of the song "I am Rich" by Neal and Leandra. Couldn't make it happen. So, now I am getting smarter, and as you can see, I chose another route. Enjoy.
  • Searched through basement books for one called Amazing Grace, by Steve Turner. Finally found it.

I certainly hope you had a nice day.

16 comments:

Lori said...

I like the image of a car with an icicle beard.

It was a good day here.

Elaine (aka...Purple) said...

Bourbon chicken sounds delicious. Must look for it next time I do Chinese

Barbara B. said...

whew! busy day!
I like the icicle beard too :)

LoieJ said...

Regarding getting the church ready: When my daughter got married, there was a person at the church (in a small city, in another state, not my church), happened to be the secretary, but wouldn't have to be, who was the wedding coordinator. She was paid a $100 fee. Her job was to discuss the details with the bride and groom, do the wedding bulletins, make sure that the details and equipment, etc. was ready, and do all the non-pastoral stuff. I thought that was a great idea.

Of course, there was a male pastor, so maybe is is sexism to say so, but a man might not be as good at these details. But much of this isn't "pastoral" work.

One helpful thing that she did: when our pastor got there, his robe was wrinkled, so she steamed out the wrinkles.

If I were a pastor, I'd want somebody like that. I'm good at details, but I'm not good at hostessing and entertaining, so I'd be bad at that stuff.

Diane M. Roth said...

P.S. We have a wedding coordinator. She usually does all that stuff, but couldn't come quite as early as usual because the wedding was on Friday.

Unknown said...

My house has an icicle fringe!

Anonymous said...

I love Bourbon Chicken. Sounds like you had a full day.

Satan said...

Diane - I am curious. Do you find, generally speaking, that it is easier or more difficult to write a sermon about a reading from John compared to a reading from one of the synoptic Gospels?

-- Satan

Lindy said...

I did some paperwork,
quite a lot of rather boring stuff,
and took my dog to the lake. I was glad for a quiet day to just get stuff done.

Crimson Rambler said...

My first thought was WEDDING? IN LENT????? A big no-no with us...and I'm glad of the respite, frankly. I know at one parish where I worked there was a "wedding mother" -- she co-ordinated things, "started" (cued) processions, and on at least one occasion steamed the creases out of a long stiff veil at the last minute. It IS easier for a woman, I think -- remembering the time I dove under the bride's skirt to untangle her crinolines. It occurred to me, in the cloud of tulle..."A guy probably couldn't do this..."

Diane M. Roth said...

I love having a wedding coordinator. our church building is large and it's a lot of running back and forth, getting all the attendants in place, and everyone cued, and then the groom.

Yep, we have weddings in Lent. Not Holy Week though. I think we would draw the line there.

Diane M. Roth said...

oh, satan (I can't believe that satan is visiting me) -- I love the gospel of John, but I do find it easier to preach on the synoptics.

Law+Gospel said...

Icicle beard- had a few of those this winter, tagged you for a meme over at my place.

dust bunny said...

busy, busy, busy....
my day was MUCH quieter.

Satan said...

Why, Diane, I am never far away. I try to stay in touch with everyone regularly. I guess you must be tuning me out.

Thank you for your frank answer. I do not share your affinity for John; I find that the message can be obscured by the theology, if that makes sense. In John 9, for example, the part I find most interesting is right up at the front, verses 2-3:

And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?
Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.


I find this exchange quite compelling as an explanation of how and why evil exists in a world created by God. It seems to me that this idea gets lost in everything else going on in the chapter, unfortunately.

Perhaps this view is just a reflection of which things interest me, of course.

-- Satan

Fran said...

Well you know I had a great day- closed on the sale of my house and met Mimi for dinner.

The icicle beard imagery was great.