Sunday Afternoon

It's the most wonderful time of the week. Sunday afternoon, after church and talking with a whole bunch of folks, after coming home to grab some leftover quiche for lunch, after a nap. I can stretch out on the couch for a bit while PH folds laundry (Sunday is also laundry day chez Mibi) and read the paper or a book. Bliss.

It feels odd not to have schoolwork to do, but lovely all the same. I actually have a bit of polishing of two brief exegeses of texts to go with the sermons I'm submitting to the fancy sermon award competition, but it can wait. The whole package isn't due until January 31st, and I know I will get them wrapped up way before that date, so I will avoid looking at them for a few days.

I could also do some work on the thesis, but that can wait, too, as can the research I'm doing for another professor. All in good time.

My supervisor at Saint Middle School has been busy giving me all relevant info (brain dump on how all the pieces of SMS work) before her final service on the evening of Christmas Eve. Today was the children's Christmas Pageant, and even at this one there were tears amongst those who will be sorry to see her go. The evening of the 24th will be a Kleenex-fest, I'm sure. Bless her on this transition and bless Saint Middle School as it adjusts to the change. My role will be to serve as "continuing pastoral presence" as we await calling our next vicar. The priests of our "mother church" - we are a parochial church plant - will be supply clergy during this time, and I will be making sure that rotas are filled, that the bulletins look okay, that the pastoral needs of our parishioners are being tended to. Pretty intense for something that is supposed to be twelve hours a week, but I think I can manage to keep it to a level that is not overwhelming. At least I hope I can!

The next few days will be full of assorted odds and ends: two doctors' appointments, lunch with a seminarian friend, practice for a solo I'll sing at a night-time Christmas Eve service (yes, I'll be at TWO Christmas Eve services, one Episcopal, one Evangelical Covenant), house-cleaning, but mostly reading fun stuff and resting. Sounds like a plan.

And now it's time to make a pecan praline pumpkin cheesecake. That's not work, that's enlightened self-interest.