So, I survived the loooong Sunday last week with the Confirmation service at 7 pm that evening.
After worship, there was a quick committee meeting, followed by my lunch salad.
Since Confirmation was that evening, and the Worship committee person didn't have a red carnation there Sunday morning, I ran to three stores looking for red carnations. I had no idea they were so hard to find. There were red roses aplenty, but a simple red carnation - rare. I managed to find a bunch of carnations at Walmart - red, pink and greenish white. They were small, so I knew I had to put three together (Holy Trinity!). I also purchased florist tape and corsage pins. Then it was back to the grocery store to buy a stem of baby's breath and fern frond.
When I got back to the church, with my trusty Swiss Army Knife that has scissors and really sharp blade, amongst other hand devices, I cut down the 3 red carnations and with the baby's breath, fern frond, and white gauze ribbon, I fashioned and created a corsage. It turned out rather well.
I also took a nap knowing the evening would be full and long.
I grabbed a bite for dinner and headed over to the large church where the service was to be - this was a conference confirmation service with nearly 10 churches involved and 25 Confirmands. The interim bishop and conference dean led the service. My Confirmand was a bit late in showing up, but he got there, into his white robe and I pinned the corsage on him.
It was a full blown Lutheran service with sung responses, a wonderful message by the Bishop, and each confirmand was individually prayed over by their pastor.
Then followed communion which took a while.
The large church choir sang and had high school musicians with their trumpets. The recessional hymn was "A Mighty Fortress" that the organ blasted out with the trumpets going and the whole
sanctuary singing - it was majestic and marvelous.
Afterwards there was a cake and coffee reception and pictures taken with your pastor and bishop.
Following the obligatory pictures, I made my farewell, and got home at 10 pm. Had my lunch dishes and coffee pot to wash and prepared my salad for Monday.
I was hoping to leave earlier on Monday for the long day on Sunday, but with a parishioner having knee surgery this week, I had to see her on Monday. She was talkative, which is fine by me, but the visit ran longer than I had anticipated which put me home 15 minutes earlier than usual. Sigh.
Perhaps, this week, I can leave earlier one day!
Then, I had an interview at another church yesterday evening after meeting with the Pastor last Thursday morning. It is a part-time position as Pastor of Visitation - something I do fairly well. It is also for a denomination I have never worked in before. I have worked with Pastors in whatever
community I was serving and worked with those denominational pastors but this will be new. The head pastor seems a decent sort and not all A-personality. It is a very large church in a well-heeled suburb. (Coincidently, I served the UCC church across the street from them as interim 20
years ago - ohhh, that sounds like a real long time ago!!!!!) The pastor contacted the Synod office who gave him my name and a couple others. The pastor seems really interested and ready to go.
That same afternoon, I received a call from their Staff Parish relations committee regarding a time for an interview.
Now, I dread interviews. I do not interview real well. For an introvert, interviews are exceptionally hard and nerve-wracking. I really couldn't say it was a shining moment. A couple of the men wore their poker faces, sort of. So, I have no idea what to think.
I was given a work application form to fill out and fax them, odd, as I had given the Head Pastor my dossier.
I filled it in and faxed it this morning.
When I was done running errands and came home for a late lunch, there was a message for me regarding how to go online for a background check. Gracious, I only had to do one of those for another Presbytery. How sad it is, that Pastors have to submit to background checks - not only for criminal records but also credit history records. Where is the integrity we live and in which we serve?
So, now it's a wait and see what happens. The pastor did give me a hymnal to take home and peruse the liturgies for funerals and weddings, since I am not familiar with them. They are still using the older hymnal which surprised me for how progressive they are. I will be doing some funerals and hopefully, not too many weddings.
The dogs are due at the Vet for their heartworm check.
And so has gone the days, the weeks....
And in the middle of it, I've become a great-aunt (even though that sounds really, really old and I'm not that old) of a little baby girl born to my nephew and his wife a week ago!!! I sure hope to see her yet this summer.
It's been a good busy. Thanks be to God.
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