[Magdalen] This saying No is tough

[Scott Knitter]

On Mon, Sep 22, 2014 at 12:33 PM, Jim Guthrie <jguthrie at pipeline.com> wrote:
> There seems to be no respect, no compassion, no sense of community for that
> matter. Doesn’t the Rector even recognize the situation and head the
> demanding folk  off at the pass?
>
> It sounds like there's something really dysfunctional going on, I think.

I think what's dysfunctional is the "tradition" that people who start
doing a job in the parish continue doing that job for all time and
eternity. So no one new steps up. Fortunately, I've noticed we've been
getting some newcomers and some of them are indeed stepping up to some
things. Hurray for that.

I very much believe our new rector is working on changing this
culture. He's already done some great things in this direction.

When our saintly, long-serving head MC retires from that role (as I
know he'd like to), he sees his successor as being either me or
another guy who I know would want to camp everything up (for example,
the rector's request that we turn toward the altar for the Creed
during Evening Prayer becomes a solitary procession to the center of
the main aisle, a grand turn to the east, and a genuflexion...I simply
stay put and turn east). So it's clear to me that the best choice
would be neither of us. I don't want to become the next
head-MC-for-life, and he doesn't want Mr. Camp-It-Up to do it. Great
opportunity for the rector to choose someone new and enthusiastic but
reasonable, for a renewable two-year term.



-- 
Scott R. Knitter
Edgewater, Chicago, Illinois USA