Reverend Ref +

FATHER O.S.A

I'm meeting a lot of people in Sheridan and VC. Not always remembering their names, but that is slowly coming. I know that Janet is my VC senior warden, Jan is the deacon in Sheridan, Janet has a husband suffering from emphyzema, Janet is the school secretary at the elementary school, Jane is a Sheridan parishioner, Joanne is the VC librarian, and Jan is the mother of a new friend of The Kid. And yes, these are all different women. Not to mention that Shelly owns the best bakery in VC and Sherry works there.
So if I greet any woman as Jan, the odds are pretty good that I've got the name right.

I went for a walk last night while Mrs. Ref was out scrapbooking. There was a lady walking up the street and we started talking. Her name is Judy. For variety. She asked if we were fixing up the old house. "Yep."

"What do you do," she inquires.

"I'm the new priest at the Episcopal church. I also have the one up in VC."

You know, sometimes it's just easier to tell people that you are the new priest. "I'm the new transitional deacon" just doesn't do it. Then you have to explain the three orders, why you have to be a deacon before you can be a priest, what the whole transitional thing is about, what's different about the two, and on and on.

So, although not really true or correct, I simply introduce myself as the new priest in town. People can understand that. And, with any luck, I won't scare them away with details and maybe they'll come visit.

And with apologies to AKMA, there are times when you really do need to take the less complicated path.

Peace