Time... time, time!!!

Time, that human made concept that marks all of us, marching on always. Has it ever marched on. I don't even remember when, but sometime back, the laptop hard-drive fried and whammo, just like that, I am off the web and thrown back into the stone age. So, I apologize for my protracted absence.

If I say that I am going to do a better job of keeping up my blog, would you believe me? Okay, maybe not. So, I am back in the cyber landscape once again, blogging, twittering, checking facebook and email obsessively.

What did I do without all these gizmos???

Now I promise that Nosferatu (did I spell that wrong?) will make an entry but not today. We'll save him for another day. Today, we ordain a new priest into the Episcopal church.

Allow me to get churchy for just a minute or maybe longer. Today, our Curate, Andrew is ordained at 7:00 p.m. It is a really special time not just for him but for me as well and for this whole community and even our larger region, that we call a Diocese.

It is special because it names a reality that we already know: Andrew is called by God. But not just him. ALL OF US ARE.

I sometimes wish that we had Ordinations for all kinds of people: firemen, teachers, school principals, street-sweepers... all of us are called to something. The hardship is knowing what that is and how to live and hear it.

I recently heard an interesting little tidbit about this. I credit my friend Lesslie with this story:

There was this guy by the name of Homer. Homer was a priest and for years, he dreamed of working in a church and being the head kahuna. (In our tradition, the head priest is called a Rector or a Vicar. For argument sake, we'll say Rector)
Homer felt called to be a Rector, but Homer found a job at a Seminary teaching and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get a job as a Rector.

Finally, Homer one day decided to give up that dream and to really launch himself into his work at the seminary. The more he dedicated his passion and balanced his work life with his personal, the more he became happy and at peace.

Well, one day, the PERFECT rector job came along-- the one he had dreamed of for years and now, he was so happy with the job that he couldn't decide what to do. So he left it to God to help him know. So Homer left the whole issue of what to do and where to go in God's lap.

And days went by... and nothing. No answers, no signs no nothing.

Of course, Homer had to arrive at an answer and soon so finally, Homer threw himself at the foot of the altar and cried out to God, "PLEEEASE God! Tell me what to do!!"

And finally, God answered.

"Homer," God said, "I don't care what you do-- just be happy!"

And so it was for Homer.

And so it is us.

What makes you happy?

Time time time marches on. The ordination is hours away and lots to see to. I will see you soon-- hopefully with Nosferatu.

Oh! One more thing: if you like my blog, and are located somewhere in the Olympia/Tumwater/Lacey area, come join me and our new community for our 5:30 Service on Advent I (that November 29) from that Sunday on, we will be doing a 5:30 service with expansive language, silence, conversation and best of all, beer or wine or whatever you want to drink at the local pub, O'Blarney's to follow. Good times...

Oh yes... time.