Reverend Ref +

RAINY DAYS AND MONDAYS

First: yes, we have had some rain and snow. This is a good thing.

Second: It's Monday of Holy Week and I, like many other clergy out there, have been trying to pull some last minute things together. Like, a sermon for Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, the Easter Vigil, and Easter Day. Um, yeah, just a little behind the curve here. I did manage to make an executive decision though -- The sermons for Maundy Thursday & Easter Vigil will be written up in VC (I hope). The rest will be done at CC. This may come down to doing something off the cuff. If that happens, I can guarantee they won't be posted here.

I also managed to get the music selected for Easter Day. Got ahold of my VC organist and let him know. (Was going to say, "gave him hymns," but thought better of it.) Also tried to get ahold of our substitute for CC. The regular organist there is in the hospital with pneumonia-like symptoms and may not be out in time for Easter service. Not sure if I mentioned this earlier, but she has been the organist at CC since at least 1960.

What happened today? The candle order I placed on Friday came today. They're too big. Had to re-order. Might be able to sell the wrong ones to VC. Got all the hymnals that were left over in the parish hall for Palm Sunday back in the pews. Laid out the service for tomorrow evening at VC. Reviewed the Good Friday service. Thought about stripping the altar at CC, but decided to wait until Wednesday. Tried to compose a sermon, gave up after the first sentence.

Maybe my problem with the Good Friday sermon is that it's too personal. I need to figure out how I take my personal piety of Good Friday (and Maundy Thursday and Holy Saturday for that matter) and put it into a sermon. If anyone has any brilliant ideas, I'd love to hear them.

And now, I believe I'm being called to dinner. Have a blessed Holy Week.