Relaxing pursuits



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Easter VIgil

The Easter Vigil was amazing. We only had 15 but it was still a powerful experience. It was my first to plan and their first to experience, so there were some [quietly] amusing "flexibility" moments [translation: learning for next time} but the church was beautiful in candlelight. We did not have it quite as late as I would have liked but it was nearly dark when we all got inside. There were actually three little children there, so at the great Alleluia they got to ring bells, which they loved. They were SO good during the long service. One of them was a visitor so did not take Communion. The moment when God passes through me in a blessing and is acknowledged by the soul in a child's eyes has to be one of the most profound for a priest--at least this priest. I had the A Team with me- Graff as Crucifer and Shannon as Server. Because in the flurry the elements were on the credence table and had not been put out for the children to bring up, so I let the two smallest c...
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Veterans Day

One of the towns I drive through is Manchester, KY. Manchester is a town that supports its military citizens in a big way. Several weeks ago, a deployed group returned. Two miles out of Manchester, the posters and yellow ribbons welcoming them home were blowing in a gentle wind. You could feel the joy of the entire town at their return. East of Manchester, there is a marker with a rifle forming part of a cross. At the base is a pair of boots, and the helmet rests on the butt of the rifle. This week, flowers were added and today a large 4X6 flag flew low to the ground as part of this memorial. I think this particular remembrance might be for Sgt. Stanfill, who died in an accident on the Hal Rogers Parkway just east of Manchester a couple of years ago. Even though Sgt. Stanfill perished on the road I drive several times a week instead of on a far away battle field, I am glad the citizens of Manchester --or perhaps his family-- honor his service in such a way. We observed the tradition...
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Shannon and I recently watched the film, “A Queen is Crowned.”   Some of us are familiar with this part of Queen Elizabeth’s story from the newer series, The Crown, that Prince Philip was instrumental in making sure that this event was available to the world. “A lavish documentary film of Queen Elizabeth II's Coronation in 1953,” it is narrated by Sir Laurence Olivier. ( https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0046222/ )   By the way, I researched it—the ‘Sir’ stands; he received that honor in 1947 from Elizabeth’s father. ( https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/KingsQueensofBritain/ ) What was great fun for us, in the same week in which we later celebrated the ‘Ending of a Pastoral Relationship’ with our retiring Bishop, was to marvel at how similar the Queen’s liturgy and our own movements within a service are. I never stand at an ancient throne and turn to the people in all four directions, but watching this film was just a delightful reminder of why so many Episcopalians are Anglophi...
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