What I Need

Yesterday was Confirmation Day.  I had the Saturday evening service, three services on Sunday.  The third was a special service for the confirmands.  Afterwards I was invited over to the home of one of the confirmands.  I'm glad I went; we got a chance to talk about the transition at our church.  They asked some questions about the process of getting a new senior pastor, what kinds of things we need to do and to know.

Today I had a funeral. Four women from my congregation were standing together afterwards.  All of them Stephen Ministers.  When I saw them, I called them "The Dream Team."  I also did a little housekeeping, to make sure I was ready to go to my Continuing Education classes.  I got a call on another funeral, which someone else will be handling.

Then I went to the Festival of Homiletics.

I registered and walked around the big downtown church for awhile.

I sat outside in the sun (it is finally sunny here!) and read a little bit of a novel called Loving Frank.

I bought a book in the bookstore.

I ran into a couple of old friends, made some plans for lunches.

I listened to wonderful music by a local group called Cantus.

I sang along with all the many many voices on the song, "Holy God, we Praise Your Name."

I soaked up a wonderful sermon by Barbara Brown Taylor, "Learning to Fall", and a Lecture by Thomas Long.

I stopped at the store on the way home, bought fancy olives (among other things).

I gave my dog Scout a tummy rub.

And I thought, this is what I need.

So simple, really.