Updates

This past week has flown by without any posts from me. I'll try to catch folks up.

First, let me lift up in prayer my seminary friend Mibi for her health issues. My hat is off to her to even be in seminary with the autoimmune challenges she has, let alone to excel as she does. Please join me in prayer for her.

Also, another friend has requested prayers for a tough economic situation she finds herself in. Prayers ascending, Sister!

I spent a fair amount of time last week with my new primary care doctor (PCM) and my cardiologist. My new PCM noted some lab work from five years ago that needed attention but was overlooked--she and my cardiologist agree that it could be the reason I have the cardiac problems I have now. I had that particular blood work redrawn and others as well and am awaiting the results. Meanwhile, my cardiologist adjusted my medications again and so I was feeling rather yucky and apathetic for a few days. Over the weekend my energy started coming back and I feel almost normal now. I'm thinking that I have a new normal to which I need to adjust, but that's ok.

Sunday was our church annual meeting. I think our parish sent a clear message for change in the vestry--I was elected as well as two other very new members. Two long time members who both work hard for our parish were not elected, and another long time member was not elected to his own term, but to fill a vacancy that was left due to another's resignation. One of our members is a very distinguished retired priest from Delaware for whom I have enormous respect and affection--he just said, "This was a very interesting election!"

I am humbled by the trust placed in my judgment by our parish. Immediately I have a ton of work to do as within the next two weeks we plan to elect a new rector. Historically rectors tend to stay in our parish for many years (DAC+ was there for 19), so this is a huge responsibility. I have a large sheath of papers to go through this morning, and there will be a conference call in which I will participate along with the other new vestry members to get to know the two gentlemen. I've met them both. I wish it was ethical to post their names and get feedback on them to help. One comes from a Midwestern parish that was decimated by the purity folks a few years back. He would like to get closer to his home state. One has been a "firefighter" for his bishop and would like some stability. Both are very qualified and would serve our parish well, from what the search committee and the other vestry members say. But, they are very different men.

So I'll look through the materials, participate in the conference calls, and see what I think. I know how I'm leaning right now, but I do not have the full story. The vestry has set up very good (IMHO) ground rules for how to reach the common decsion--by consensus, although not by unanimity. And a few of us are headed to see one of them in action this coming weekend.

I wish our annual meeting would have taken place a bit later, but our church bylaws say it has to be in January. The reason the former vestry could not elect was that the bishop was not able to see one of them on his visit to South Dakota. It really doesn't seem fair. I'm sure there will be much discusion.

Like I always say, Stay tuned. Please pray for us that we will be open to the guidance of the Holy Spirit in this momentous decision.

Stealth visit

We had a visitor at 8 o'clock today who stayed for adult forum, which visitors usually don't do. He listened very carefully and only at the end introduced himself as "Rob, who is visiting just for the weekend from CO." Then I noticed as I was leaving that Rob was staying for the 10:15 service also. I thought that was odd for a visitor.

On the way out of the parking lot it hit me: Our visitor Rob certainly is one of the two remaining candidates for our new rector, whose selection is supposed to be imminent. I vaguely remember overhearing that the candidates would be visiting soon.

When my friend Carolyn was visiting parishes as a candidate a few years ago, she visited as a candidate. I wonder if Rob wanted to see how we really were to regular people, and that is why no one announced who he was.

(Taciturn casually mentioned that he probably should not have called him an @!&^%hole when they bumped into each other on the way out! Of course he was joking!)

The vestry candidate information board was up today. Several people told me that they were glad to see me running for vestry. That is encouraging. But again, as I truly believe and have told everyone, the church would be well served by any of the candidates and that is what it is all about.

Stealth visitor aside, the forum today was very rich. We started with New Year's resolutions and applied those to our life in Christ. We spoke of judging versus evaluating, forgiving, and how our parish's community life has changed over the years. It was well done with lots of food for thought.