notes from a staff meeting

Generally, I think it's a good policy not to record events of staff meetings on one's blog. Today, however, was a doozy.

We were discussing ways to highlight the upcoming Lenten Small Groups and how we might encourage people to sign up for them. One of my colleagues suggested making announcements that double as teaching as to why Lent is important which has worked in the past.

Donna: "Once we even had someone come out in sack-cloth and ashes, and used some drama and humour..(trails off, (for the purposes of this story) due to interruption by another colleague...)

Elaine: "oh, we need Bonnie to do these announcments..."

Now...a dear friend (I'm not sure what he'd think if I used his name so why don't we call him...nitsud...) who I am fourtunate enough to work with, was sitting across from me at the staff table. Apparently he didn't hear the comment made by E, and was still thinking along the lines of D and chimed in, saying "yea, you could totally just tear your shirt..."

To which I responded:








Buuut it got funnier...

Nitsud: "Well, not YOU.."

(everyone else is now laughing)

Kirsten: "Well you could..."

Me: "Oh, well, in that case..."

Nitsud: (acting out the ensuing scnario if the above did happen..) "your small group sign-ups are humongous" (...annnd at the last word another of my fellow (male) colleagues who had been quiet in the conversation up until now, let out a roar of laughter.)

...to which I responded...

listen

I know I don't always use it correctly but I'm getting better. And at least I'm trying.

And I love it. I love how superfluous it is; we don't really need it. I'm wary of excess in all other parts of my life. Isn't it wonderful that one can be so overindulgent when it comes to punctuation?

a man from St. Margaret's died today. He was pretty old and pretty ill. He breathed his last in prayer, I'm told.

...O Holy Trinity, one God;
Graciously hear us.
Behold, O Lord, this thy servant, and in thy loving mercy,
Good Lord, deliver him. ...
To receive him to thyself,
We beseech thee, good Lord. ...

He was an important man; he was a man of the cloth. He'd been ill for quite a while; I really only met him once. But what's funny about churches is that some people, even if they haven't dawned the threshold in years, leave their mark in the stones, in the books, in the windows. I only shook his hand once but I meet him there, in that holy place, under those glowing windows, amid the thewy pews, in the pages of the common prayers, in the people who flood the sanctuary. He was important; many of my friends will be mourning tonight.

...Depart, O Christian soul, out of this world,
In the Name of God the Father Almighty, who created thee;
In the Name of Jesus Christ, who redeemed thee;
In the Name of the Holy Ghost, who sanctifieth thee.
May thy rest be this day in peace, and thy dwelling place in the Paradise of God.



I think I shall go for a walk and a frozen salute.