Holy Sickness

Why, Oh, Why??!! Every year I come down with a cold or the flu around Holy Week. I am currently suffering a head cold that is just kicking my butt! (or is it my sinuses?) Last year it was the flu, so I guess I should be thankful that it is nothing worse. Right now, though, it feels about as bad as it can get! Achoo, achoo, drip, drip, drip, cough, hack, achoo, achoo (the sound track of my life!) Please, dear Lord, send healing!

Wow! It has been a tough Lent!

I somehow managed to get myself put in charge of the Lenten Sunday Adult Forum Series on the Renewal of Baptismal vows, as well as the Wednesday evening Lenten Book series. Well, okay, I do know how it happened, I can't keep my mouth shut! All I did was suggest the series and *BAM* I was in charge of it! When will I learn, Oh Lord! I have been as busy researching as I was during seminary. While it has been very fruitful (and even enjoyable), I am exhausted! I can't believe that it is almost over already. I feel like this Lenten season has just flown by, which is a weird feeling because Lent usually seems to drag by. Ironic difference in taking on something(s) versus giving up something (though, my wife would say that I had given up any kind of family life). I miss the monastic feel of my typical Lent. Maybe, as I get better at my ministry, I will learn how to incorporate both in my life during Lent. (or maybe learn to say 'no')

Enough whining!

I do love my job and have exciting parts to it as well as challenges! I am finalizing the preparations for my first youth/parents meeting and am excited about the schedule and mission trips and service projects that are planned. I can't wait for the meeting. I hope it goes as well as I am excited about having it! Yeah!

Passive Aggressive Rudeness

Why is it that people feel that it is okay not to return phone calls, emails, facebook posts, etc? Is it the anonymity of the electronic medium? I spend so much time trying to stay in contact with people who just never respond. Often, when I see them in church on Sunday, they say nothing. If they would even try to justify their behavior by saying, "Oh, I meant to return your call/email/posting, but I just never got the time." I would be okay with that, but they don't. It seems to be okay to blow another person off if you do it electronically. As long as I don't actually catch you when I phone, then you are free to ignore me. Oh well, I guess I need to join the 21st century and just accept that people want to hear that I called/emailed/texted them and not be concerned with the fact that no content was ever exchanged. I guess it is more about trying than succeeding. It's about performing roles, not actually interacting. How sad.

It must get better from here.

I've been employed as the Associate Rector for Family and Young Adult Ministry for 8 months. I've been ordained clergy for 7 months (since my transitional Diaconate ordination). I've been an ordained priest for a month. When, oh when, will I start getting good at this job?
Oh, the liturgical functions like celebrating and preaching go just fine, but it is the day-to-day stuff that kills me. The high school group dislikes me. The junior high group is bored with me. The parents want to turn into the "villagers with pitchforks and burning pine knots." If I communicate one way, they want it another. If I follow this person's suggestion, then that person is upset. If I plan something, they want to do something else...or just don't show up.
I really, really wish that some experienced and successful youth minister would just wave their magic wand and make good and successful at this!

Consider yourself invited

God willing
and the people consenting
The Right Reverend Jeffrey D. Lee
Bishop of Chicago
will ordain

Phillip J.A. Fackler
Shelley A. Forrester
Tyrone Fowlkes
Bradley W. Pace
Courtlyn G. Williams

to the Sacred Order of Priests
in Christ's One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church
Saturday, the sixth of December
Two Thousand and Eight
at eleven o'clock in the morning
Saint James Cathedral
Sixty-Five East Huron Street
Chicago, Illinois
Your prayers and presence are requested

The liturgical color is white
Reception following in the narthex

What a week!

Well, it is turning out to be an interesting week.

First, I was preparing for ordination on Saturday. Of course, this mainly consists of being antsy and trying to focus on all the work I should be doing (like preparing a sermon for Wednesday), but it is still something that is occupying my mind. In some ways I feel like I should be preparing in a more "real" way. I don't have time for a full-blown retreat, so it seems like a should be doing something "holy" and "preparatory," but I just have too much work to do between now and then. I truly hope I remember to bring my vestments that day!

Second, I just found out that I am officiating a funeral that day (no Eucharist). We had the planning meeting with the widow and it went very well. I learned a great deal about how that process works, especially how you get info to write a sermon for a person you really don't know very well (his wife is a parishioner and her mother is a founding member of the parish). The funeral is going to be very cool as the man was a policeman and the police and fire departments are providing honor guards. His police motorcycle will be parked by the church entrance and there will be a police bagpiper "piping" us as we process to the church yard for internment of ashes in the columbarium.

Lots and lots to do this week. At least it will make the time go by faster and I will quit fidgeting so much. I hope.