AWARDS NIGHT

Well, this was it. The Final Hoo Ha at SWTS. There is still Commencement, to be sure, but this was something else. Last night really closed the door for me on my Seabury experience.

The service was good, as it usually is. Many deserving people were given awards recognizing their achievements, for either this academic year or for their overall time at SWTS, and sometimes both. The seniors were given Seabury Crosses, a symbol of surviving this journey; and, in my case, smaller versions of these crosses were also given to Mrs. Ref and The Kid.

In a special moment, the Class of 2004, represented by Charlie, Andrea and myself, awarded a Seabury Cross to Ben and Meg, husband and daughter of our classmate Mary G. who died last summer from ovarian cancer. The presenter was originally to be Mary T., who had formed a close bond with Mary G. But in a weird plot twist, Mary T. was in the hospital with problems of her own. So it fell to the class representatives. I delivered the presentation, pulling a little from my imagination, a little from the wedding service, and a little from the burial service. Charlie and Andrea presented the crosses. Five lines was all, and I couldn't hold it together for five lines. Damn damn damn. So much for decorum; but at least I managed not to blubber uncontrollably.

The rest of the service carried on. During the prayers, we gave thanks for "A job for Todd." Yes, buried in this marathon post is the fact that I have been offered a position and have accepted. So, for all of you who have been wondering about the alphabet soup in previous posts (BSC, A-DL-P, VC-S) here are your definitions: BSC diocese, Big Sky Country (Montana); A-DL-P, Anaconda-Deer Lodge-Philipsburg (called someone else); VC-S, Virginia City-Sheridan (called me). So yes, I'm working on becoming the Vicar of Sheridan (or some other catchy title I haven't yet invented).

After service was the "Other Awards Ceremony." A night of food and revelry and general good times. The seniors, thanks mainly to Micah, put on the show wrapped around the theme of Saturday Morning Cartoons. The show: Episcopal Heroes (or something). The heroes, Captain Pacifist, Calvinist Lad (played by yours truly), Multi-Cultural Girl, Thurible, and their young sidekick Postulant, did battle with the evil villains Inclusive Lass, Anabaptist, Mr. Mega-Church and Splinter. The general plot: Keep the villains from using their "Ordinator" to ordain everyone. Interspersed throughout were the various "awards." I'd say more, but it's one of those, "You had to be there" things.

Then it was off to a variety of parties, where, I'm sure, a little too much "revelry" was taking place. And to my fellow preacher for our 12-to-1 grace-filled conversation: Thanks for everything.

It was a good night and a good end to my trip. Hard to believe that, for me, this thing started back in 1996. Now, with the call to Sheridan and Virginia City, I'm about to embark on this thing for real. God help us all.

OFFER IN HAND

I have an offer from VC-S. The search committee from A-DL-P is meeting tomorrow night to make their decision, and then that will be taken to the three vestries on Friday night. Hopefully they will be able to agree and let me know one way or the other.

Dilemma: How do I politely say, "Thanks, let me think this over" without coming across like, "Thanks, but I'm waiting for a better offer"? Which I'm not, but I don't want to prematurely take a position while the other place is still discerning who they want to call.

Okay, now I'm stressed. Any suggestions would be helpful.

ROUND 2

Back from BSC today. Yes, you read that right . . . today. We were originally due to arrive at 8:57 last night; but due to mechanical problems, we didn't arrive until 12:15. Can you say, "Skip the morning class"?

We arrived late Friday (also due to mechanical problems). Saturday our host took us to breakfast and then we toured the church in A. From there we went to P and toured that church and town. And then we drove down to DL to visit that parish and town. There's something like 60 to 80 miles in that loop. So, Sunday's would be a very long day in the car.

Population is quite a bit bigger than VC-S (who had populations of 150 permanent and 700 respectively). A is around 8000, DL is around 4000 and P is around 1000.

Sunday we did one combined service in A and had about 35 people there. I led MP and preached. Did a pretty decent job. Then we went up to DL for a potluck lunch so that anyone who wasn't able to meet me at service would have that chance and have an opportunity to ask questions. After that, we went over to P for cookies and coffee. As an aside, anytime you go to P, make sure you use the bathroom first because they don't have one (hmmm -- I suppose I could've written that last sentence better). The church is about 100 years old, and nobody thought to equip it with even an outhouse.

Oh yeah, one other point about the weekend: it snowed. No, I'm not kidding. It snowed last week when I visited VC-S, and it snowed again this weekend. Welcome to spring in BSC.

Timeline: Supposedly VC-S wants to make their decision this week. The A-DL-P search committee is meeting tomorrow, and then presenting their choice to each vestry Friday. I hope to hear from them next week at the earliest, in two weeks at the latest. These next two weeks are going to be rough. Keep my family in your prayers.

Peace

UPDATE

Okay, for those of you who have been wondering where I've been . . .

The interview in VC-S went as well as could be expected. These are SMALL (maybe I should say 'small') towns. VC has a permanent population of 150. S has a population of maybe 700. For perspective, the downtown area of both towns could probably fit nicely within the space of your average mall & parking lot. But, we did our thing and did it relatively well. Saturday morning was breakfast with the head honcho of the search committee and then a meeting with a group from S. Then it was lunch and (supposedly) a meeting with the group from VC. That 'group' turned out to be the search committee chair and one other person who gave us all of the history of their building and surrounding area. Hmmmm.

Sunday was MP II at both parishes. I did a better job liturgically at the first service and preached a good sermon. I kind of fumbled the liturgy at the second service, but my sermon was better. So who knows.

On Friday it's off to A-DL-P for the interview there. I'm not sure what the Saturday schedule is, but Sunday will have me officiate MP II at one service. They have decided to combine all services that day so that we only have to do this gig once. That's good in some respects, but as Mrs. Ref says, "You preach better at the second service." Hmmm. Maybe I'll preach to the hotel wall on Sunday and work out the kinks.

Now it's time to go get some school work done.

Peace

"YOU CAN PREACH IN MY PULPIT ANY DAY"

I preached my final sermon at SWTS last night. I managed to put together a decent sermon in the midst of all of my other "reading week" duties (getting the house ready for our kid/housesitter, putting together my theology presentation, getting ready to leave for a job interview, etc etc).

Two things made this a good experience. First, I told the parishes I'm visiting that I was a good preacher. It's good to know that a) I wasn't lying and b) the timing was perfect since I have to write Sunday's sermon on the plane and touch it up at the motel.

Second, a fellow student said, "You can preach in my pulpit any day." High praise from someone who hasn't always seen eye-to-eye with me. So, a pub-blog-ly response, "Thanks, I appreciate that."

Mrs. Ref and I are off to BSC for a job interview this morning. Keep us in your prayers over the weekend, and a full report will be forthcoming.

Peace

IRONY

For those of you who missed this, the Rev. Bavi Edna Rivera was elected Bishop Suffragan of the Diocese of Olympia (my home state, wrong side of the hill). From the sounds of it, she brings alot of experience to the position and will hopefully be a great asset to that diocese.

So, why the irony? She's the daughter of the Rt. Rev. Victor Manuel Rivera, former bishop of the Diocese of San Joaquin, one of three dioceses in ECUSA that does not recognize the ordination of women. I have to ask the same question as Jake, will he participate in her consecration?

HOW WOULD YOU CHANGE IT?

Fr. Jake is taking a look at the Lord's Prayer and suggesting we try to envision "Our Mother who art in heaven." Appropriate for Mother's Day. But that got me thinking. Does Father or Mother truly express God? What about for those people who have abusive fathers? Or those people for whom a gender change of God creates distance and alienation rather than freedom? So, if you chould change this prayer, how would you do it?

Here's my version:

Our Lover in heaven,
precious be your name,
your vision come, your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Feed us today in heart, mind, body and soul.
Forgive our hurts as we forgive those who hurt us.
Save us from the time of trial, and deliver us from evil.
For yours is the power and the glory,
in heaven and on earth,
now and for ever. Amen.

MY FAMILY

I really do have an incredible family. Mrs. Ref is busy making my diaconal stole for ordination. For those of you coming to the event, you'll get to see a real masterpiece.

The Kid is in the bathroom getting ready for bed, and singing/humming as usual. She's singing Hymn 610.

And The Kid and I made pancakes this morning for Mother's Day. And since pancakes are my department, Mrs. Ref got pancakes thus:

B E S T M O M (with the O being in the shape of a heart)

Some days are better than others. This was one of them.

Peace

TRAVEL PLANS

Here's the story: VC-S finally figured out things with the bishop. Next weekend, Mrs. Ref and I will fly to City A, drive 2 hrs north to meet with the bishop, and then drive 4 hours south to meet the people of VC-S. I will preach at at least one service, probably both, and then drive 2 hours back north on the day of our departure.

In two weeks, Mrs. Ref and I will fly to City B and meet with the people of A-DL-P, and I will preach at at least one service; they aren't sure how this will be set up yet. Luckily the airport city in this case is only 30 minutes east of the parish. Then we will fly back to Chicagoland.

And THEN, in three weeks, I hope to have the problem of trying to discern where I need to plant me and my family.

Somewhere in all of that, I need to finish some class projects, graduate and get ordained (see 2 Posts Down -- anyone need to name their garage band?).

JOBS

So here's the latest. A-DL-P want to fly me and Mrs. Ref out for a personal interview over the weekend of May 22-23.

VC-S is trying to confirm a personal interview over the weekend of May 15-16, but they need to get with the bishop.

I'm expecting to here from the rector of HS next week as to whether or not they will offer me the position.

Stay calm, breathe. I guess this is all good, right?

OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

God Willing,
The Right Reverend James E. Waggoner, Jr., Bishop of Spokane,
will ordain Reverend Ref to the Sacred Order of Deacons
in Christ's One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church,
on Saturday, June 12, 2004, at 11:00 a.m.,
at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist,
12th Ave. and Grand Blvd,
Spokane, WA.

Festive Color is Red
Reception to follow

I tried to get the text color red, but it didn't work, and I don't know how to do that. But, I thought you all would like to see the official announcement, and get a kick out of reading who the bishop will ordain.

Peace,

HMMM

Blogger is telling me my blog doesn't exist. Wonder what's that all about??

100% GUARANTEED

It's Monday, reason enough to smile. But if you need a little help (or a lot of help for that matter), go here. I promise it'll make you laugh!!

Smiles & Giggles,

THE SOUND AND THE FURY

Today, St. A's celebrated the 10:30 Eucharist at one of the lake front parks. It was sunny, 47 degrees, and very windy. Do I dress for winter, or do I dress for spring. Winter attire won out.

The highlight of the morning was watching the lake. For the first time I saw some decent sized waves and I heard the roar of the water. Something I have greatly missed, having not been able to go to the ocean since entering seminary.

It reminded me of how much I miss the coast. It reminded me of how much I miss Canon Beach. It reminded me that this place really isn't home.

It reminded me . . . damn . . . I need a job.