January 11, 2023

Frantic, frenetic, and constant chaos. We do not have enough chocolate in the building to help.

That pretty much sums up the month of January.

We are preparing for the annual meeting. People are writing and sending in reports. Ballots are being mailed both physically and electronically today. The annual report is being produced in stages as we receive reports.

The Search Team for our next Minister of Music has been working hard with interviews, checking references, planning to meet candidates in person, and everything else associated with process.

We are reaching out to a variety of different contacts and resources in our ongoing effort to replace Katherine as our treasurer.

It seems there are a multitude of people working to plan and organize the festivities associated with Mark King's final Sunday.

Mark and I have worked to plan ahead so our interim organist, Brenda Weiser, can focus on providing quality music during this time. We're also working ahead so that our hopefully newly-called Minister of Music will have an easy transition.

In addition to all of that, Mark is working on sorting, cleaning out, and moving 28-years of office stuff.

And lest I forget Melonie, in addition to her regular duties she is also caught up in all of the extra activities mentioned above. Her desk often looks like someone turned her drawers upside down and scattered the contents all over the office; but at the end of the day she's managed to put everything back where it belongs.

Things here are frantic, frenetic, and in constant chaos. I think we need more chocolate.

At this time of the year, and this year in particular, I am grateful for those moments I can slow down, put all of the chaos and stress to the side, breathe, and spend some time with God. For me this comes when I end the day in the South Transept and pray Evening Prayer. It comes on Wednesday at 12:15 when I escape out of the office into St. Mary's Chapel for the midday/mid-week Eucharist. And it comes every Sunday when, for about 2-1/2 hours I worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness; a time when I hear the readings, pray the Psalm, join with angels, archangels, and all the company of heaven as we sing, “Holy, holy, holy Lord . . .” and especially a time when I have the privilege and honor of administering Holy Communion.

There are times when things are frantic, frenetic, and in chaos. There are times when you don't have enough chocolate to cope. But hopefully, in the midst of all that frenzy, you have a time a place to sit, breathe, slow down, and be with God.

“Be present, O merciful God, so that we who are wearied by the changes and chances of this life may rest in your eternal changlessness.”