Wednesday Night Festivity

Many of you know (though you may not have the chronology in mind) that I've been on my parish vestry through three crazy, event-filled years. I came onto the vestry in January 2005, expecting a smooth ride. We had a marvelous rector who had been there for some 34 years. And he wasn't just coasting; we had a very healthy parish, and his was a fruitful ministry. Then his wife died in April, which cast our parish into a new ministry. Suddenly, we started to discover something deeper about how the "ministry of all the baptized" included caring for our rector. Then in May, he announced he was going to retire on June 30, thrusting this parish – for the first time in three decades – into the uncharted waters of doing a "rector search." Those of us on the vestry had to move swiftly, and we called an interim rector, for a period that we knew should and would last at least two years. Meanwhile, we came face-to-face with some issues regarding our physical plant, and launched a capital campaign during the "interim" period. I am very proud of the work that our search committee and our parish did during the very, very long self-study process. Finally, we called a new rector, who came here in October. We are very happy with her. We are excited about what new ministry and what new explorations we may embark upon with her. But it sure has been a wild and crazy ride for these almost three years.

Tomorrow night, the bishop will make the big trip to St. Louis. He will join us as the community marks the "Celebration of New Ministry." Shariya+ will be installed as our rector, thanks be to God! We will covenant to be faithful to the promises and hopes we outlined in our self-study process. [For a delightful read, take a look at Richard Helmer's essay about the language we use when we "install" a new rector.] We will make promises to and with our new rector. I am very excited about all that.

You know me by now. Liturgy rat that I am, I am quite excited, too, that I will get to serve as subdeacon in tomorrow night's liturgy. I'm not yet entirely comfortable in that role, but I got some practice at the ordination last month. Our parish has never had a subdeacon, but I think I'm sufficiently knowledgeable that I can do the job and can even help folks move when and where they need to. I am looking forward to this liturgy with great happiness and excitement.

Good liturgy is great drama, in all the best sense. When it "works" as it should, it lifts the people beyond the quotidian reality. I hope I can help make that happen tomorrow night.

If you have some moments Wednesday, say a little prayer for our little parish. The self-study process is calling us to some ministry that needs to happen, but about which we are all a bit nervous. We now have a rector whom I support fully, but I'm sure she needs prayerful support. And our parish needs care as we "install" a new rector for the first time in about 36 years. I covet your prayers.