[Magdalen] Whaddya Know . . .

[Roger Stokes]

On 12/07/2015 20:30, Jim Guthrie wrote:
> Our first lay reader of the morning today announced that the day's OT 
> lesson was "By Samuel the Second."
>
> We had a very smaller-than-usual congregation (fewer than ten lasted 
> to coffee hour)-- I suspect because everyone turned out for 
> yesterday's wedding of our Senior Warden and a prominent local 
> physician -- our first same-sex wedding at St Luke's. The church was 
> packed including all our regulars. I guess they were "churched out" 
> after the wedding <g> or as (I think) appears in the catechism, "One 
> and Done for the week."
>
> Our supply priest this morning offered what can best be described as a 
> true stem-winder (for an Episcopal Church) -- going on for 40 minutes. 

I assume that whoever is responsible for booking supply priests will be 
told "Don't book him again". I one knew a priest who could preach a good 
10 minute sermon. (I think an appropriate length for the Eucharist.)  
The problem was that he would preach three or four, one after the other 
on a Sunday morning.  Are preachers not told the old adage "If you don't 
strike oil in 10 minutes, stop boring."?

The new Curate in the parish where I live made his appearance at the 
Eucharist this morning.  The Vicar had booked a weekend away before he 
knew the Curate was coming so we had a retired priest presiding and 
preaching.  The sermon was not inspiring.  After the service a couple of 
people asked if I had ever been asked to do more than be in the 
congregation there so I said it was up to the Vicar.

Roger

Roger