Time is slipping away. We’re well into Lent now, and this
week Massey’s Chapel will hire a new pianist. I do not know who it will be
between the two finalists, and I find myself surprisingly not particularly
concerned. They are both talented. I am not ready for either Palm Sunday or
Easter in terms of preaching, nor am I ready at all for Holy Week.
I got through Ash Wednesday using ashes given to me years
ago by a colleague. I’ve been using ashes
from the same filthy plastic bag for at least 15 years. Massey's always has a surprisingly large gathering for Ash Wednesday.
There are some difficult end-of-life and possible end-of-life
decisions having to be made by church members. The husband of a MIA-since-Covid
member died last week. The member had made public that phone calls and visits
were not welcome during husband’s decline. There will be no service. After his
death, she let me know she was too busy even for a prayer over the phone. I’m not
sure what that’s all about, but no one (including me) has seen her in years
because she refused visits for fear of Covid, even after Covid had run its
course. Some members used to view her as a “spiritual mother.” I'm sure her absence is my fault somehow, but I’m tired of trying to figure out why people
act the way they do.
This is what I have done: Keith and I went to Carolina
Beach last week at the invitation of a group of card players at Elderberry. All
they play is pinochle, so we played endless games of pinochle while the wind blew
so hard we could hardly go outside anyway. We laughed a lot. The house sat right on the beach, so I watched the sun rise each morning
over the ocean; also the full moon.
We have unpacked almost completely in our new home in Pittsboro. The peeper frogs and coyotes both make a racket at night, which I don't mind.
I decided to teach a 5- or 6-week class on the parables of
Jesus, probably starting the middle of Lent and ending sometime after Easter. I’ve
taught it previously, so I have the notes.
I have plane tickets to and from Little Rock for my niece’s
April 14 wedding, and the other Pastor Cheryl will preach and lead worship in
my absence.
We have reservations near Gatlinburg for a long weekend in
July because that is where my son and daughter-in-law selected for a family
vacation.
After much consideration, I have reserved a two-bedroom condo
in Blowing Rock for Aug. 5-22.
I have three(!) doctor appointments this month, none of
them serious I hope.
If I didn’t have to help secure a new pianist for Massey’s and
ensure a smooth transition, I would be retiring in June. My plans are to retire
the following June.
My goal is: One foot in front of the other, do the next right thing, and keep praying.
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