A joyous time

With just one more Christmas service (Christmas Lessons and Carols) to celebrate before we reach The Epiphany, this verger is glad of a few days rest.  Not that I’m complaining, but after a hectic Advent (including two funerals in eight days) and six services over Christmas, I have been relaxing by making a start on the service bulletins for Epiphany.

After much hard work preparing for our Christmas worship I have to say that one of my favorite moments of the year is on Christmas Eve lining up the procession for the opening hymn “O Come All Ye Faithful”.  The opening bars of this wonderful hymn set the hairs on the nape of my neck a tingle.  Now I know Christmas is here and as I move off to clear the way for the procession I fight hard to concentrate and to keep the tears of joy at bay.  Believe me, it’s a difficult task. 

  

With a full corps of acolytes, a full choir, and the Thurifer doing his best to distribute the incense evenly, I am overjoyed that we now get to celebrate the Incarnation. 

Thanks to our wonderful Clergy, Eucharist Ministers, Acolytes, especially the indefatigable Acolyte Master, children (who performed in the Pageant magnificently), our Music Director, Choir, Altar Guild, Ushers and the whole St. Philip's community for making the Eve of the Incarnation so joyous.

The color purple

Is it already the third Sunday of Advent? The past few weeks have been busy with two weddings and two funerals in addition to the regular weekly services.

All weddings are special, but on the Eve of Advent, our church made history. A same sex blessing using the recently approved liturgy was, to the best of my knowledge, the very first in the nation. It was my privilege and an honor to be verger at this beautiful and moving service.

The verger is always concerned with making worship look seamless. Things do go wrong, but mostly they go unnoticed by the congregation, or indeed, by anyone other than the one who makes the mistake and/or the verger. Of course, the verger makes mistakes and I could list many, but I like to think that it is not what we do to correct them, but how we do it that makes the difference. In the event of mishaps I always tell acolytes and chalice bearers not to panic, keep calm, carry on as if nothing happened (where I have I heard that before).

That is not always as easy as it sounds. Last week, a teenage acolyte was making his debut as Crucifer. I was not processing and had expressed the need for him, as lead in the procession, to keep to a steady, dignified pace. This he did, but at the final step before the sanctuary he missed his footing (and a couple of heartbeats) and tripped, but recovered magnificently and  I’m sure no one on the congregation noticed. The liturgical color for Advent (in our church) is purple – very near to the shade of the Crucifer’s face!

Do I take my own advice? Looking calm is one thing. Dealing with the inner panic is another - but we won't go into that.

God knows we are not perfect, so He gives us the strength and courage to get over and learn from our imperfections whilst we strive to serve in in worship.

Episcopal lists

I first posted this a few years back to Norfolk Boy in NC.  It never hurts to remind ourselves who we are:

A Dozen Reasons for Becoming an Episcopalian, or At Least for Checking Us Out

1. It's one of the few denominations that allow alcoholic beverages to be served on the grounds.

2. The options: Rite One or Rite Two; back-to-congregation or facing congregation; traditional or contemporary music; all are allowed and welcome!

3. We used cool words like 'verger', 'thurifer', 'amice', 'warden', 'aumbry' and 'columarium'.

4. Otherwise, I'd be unchurched.

5. I ask too many annoying questions.

6. One is expected to ask all irritating questions and to use their brain.

7. It has a beautiful Liturgy.

8. I do not have to understand; I only have to believe.

9. Here laughter and fun are appropriate.

10. The 'fashion police' don't come to our church; the Holy Spirit does.

11. The clergy are not only smart, gifted and spiritual - they are fun!

12. Episcopalians spend less time beating on the Bible and more time actually reading it.

All of it true, and there's more. I have a tee shirt with the following on the back:

Top 10 Reasons for Being an Episcopalian (according to Robin Williams, that is)

10. No snake handling.

9. You can believe in dinosaurs.

8. Male and female, God created them; male and female we ordain them.

7. You don't have to check your brains at the door.

6. Pew aerobics.

5. Church year is color coded.

4. Free wine on Sunday.

3. All of the pageantry, none of the guilt.

2. You don't have to know how to swim to get baptized.

1. No matter what you believe, there's bound to be at least one other Episcopalian who agrees with you.

You just cannot argue with that.

Oh, and just how many Episcopalians does it take to change a light bulb?

Two answers to this (well, there would be, right? ) . . . . .

1. Change?

2. Three - one to change the bulb, two to mix the cocktails.

I am an Episcopalian (as if you hadn't guessed).

A tall yarn

Those who know my beloved Gail also know that I live in a house of yarn!  I needed a knitting needle this morning for a job on the aquarium pump (don't ask). In Gail's absence I searched for said object. Wow! Even I was amazed at how knitting yarn has taken over our home. Save for the bathrooms and kitchen (although there may be stuff stored there too - well, you don't look for a knitting needle in those places do you?), there was an avalanche of yarn everywhere and countless in-progress projects. It's as well yarn doesn't weigh much as I would live in fear of subsidence! 

Oh, the needle? I didn't find a single one that was not in use on the aforesaid projects. 

No doubt I'll be in big trouble on her return, especially when she shows me where she keeps her stock (although that might not happen if she finds out what I wanted one for)!

She will also, I know, comment on how, as a Verger, I have an eye for detail, but unless it involves my computer, books or tools, I am blind to things around the home. Fair comment.