Reverend Ref +

YEAR C - PENTECOST 19 - PROPER 23

No sermon this week -- it was the diocesan convention. What was convention like? Well, pretty much what I expected. For those who don't know, the diocese has a new bishop (just celebrated his first year in office a few weeks ago). The diocese is recovering from the abuses of the previous bishop and is showing signs of that recovery and reconciliation. For the first time in a long while, all of the smaller parishes who want priests have them, and people are generally excited about the future.

There was only one resolution on the schedule, and that was to make St. Peter's in Helena the cathedral of the diocese. It passed with much applause, and the bishop will be seated on November 14. We are all looking forward to that. In addition, I will be the first person ordained to the priesthood in the newly named cathedral (December 18, if you care).

What was convention like? It was a whole lot like SWTS, believe it or not. We had worship services just as often: Friday night, Saturday morning, Saturday noon, Saturday evening, Saturday compline, and Sunday morning. We used all of the approved material for the services. Yes, this meant that Friday night's service was from EOW and the music was from LEVAS. However, Jeff, Saturday morning Eucharist was Rite I (including Humble Access). It meant that Saturday evening prayer was a combination EP and Evensong. It meant we had classes to attend on Saturday. It meant we got to sleep in little tiny rooms at the hotel. It meant that we got to hear all of the goings on outside our rooms. I was sure that graduation and moving out were figments of my imagination. All in all, though, it was a good time.

Many people have told me that once you leave SWTS you will never experience worship, music, or community like you did while you were there. And that's true. While convention was a reminder, it was like Plato's shadows, for convention was only a shadow of what was real. The community worship was just a little "off" because they weren't familiar with EOW and LEVAS. The singing was just a little "off" because they don't normally sing psalms, canticles and the like. In some ways it left me frustrated because I know it all could have been better. But for the most part, it made me miss SWTS and everything about it, while at the same time it made me excited to be part of the Diocese of Montana as we all look forward to a new day.

For you seniors reading this, appreciate what you've got while you've got it; treasure it as a fond memory when you're gone; and I pray that you all end up in places that you are excited to be at.