This has been week of such peculiarly staggering non- achievements that it truly almost deserves a post of its own. So, while our transatlantic friends are giving thanks, here is an all too British chronicle of wasted time.
Monday…not too bad. Meeting over-ran to prevent hoped-for visit to primary school to join in RE lesson,-and Kindergarten infant decided that she couldn't wait for the loo while she was sitting on my lap (yes, I know - it was rather yukky, actually) but other than that...
Tuesday….good staff meeting (they do happen, honestly, because my vicar is one of the wonders of the western world) but then I spent ALL DAY gazing at a blank screen and failing to write a Christingle service, stopping only to attend a particularly uninspiring “roadshow” in the evening for clergy and Church Wardens.
This was also the day on which I discovered that I’d seriously mucked up my order for
A Light Blazes…the first consignment, of 10 copies, was despatched at the beginning of November, but has yet to arrive. The second emergency top-up of 6, for which I paid the express postage rate so that all the congregation who had ordered one would definitely be sorted by Advent 1 turned out to be an order of 1 copy…for which I’ve paid postage equivalent to twice the value of the book. Nothing that Lulu, helpful as they are, can do about this. Thanksgiving holiday means that even if I'd reordered then and there, the extra books would not be likely to arrive before the end of next week at the earliest…and goodness only knows where the others are. Grrrrrrrrrr. Lots of time online trying to sort this out- dismal failure.
Wednesday….day off! Caught the early coach to London to meet dear school friend at the National Theatre…except that she was ill in Tunbridge Wells, and the message she had left on an ansaphone to warn me of this was on my old phone number (goodness knows who will have got that…it was reassigned some months after we moved!). Never mind, it only took me 45 minutes to decide that something was definitely wrong, after which I had a lovely walk down the Thames to see Rachel Whiteread’s Embankment at Tate Modern, and seriously considered paying £9 for a tour of Shakespeare’s Globe,- but frugality won out. Now, of course, I wish I had.
Thursday….Birthday of beloved TeenWonder, who entered the world in the dark of a freezing morning 16 years ago. He is not the easiest person in the world to buy gifts for, so I was very pleased that I’d managed to bid successfully for a bargain piccolo on eBay, as he’s now playing piccolo as well as 1st flute in the school orchestra, and we’re all rather taken by the instrument’s diminutive charm. Trouble is, eBay piccolo is not quite right. This may well be sortable by flute teacher on Tuesday, but meanwhile, there is a 7 days return policy in place, and anyway, it’s his BIRTHDAY for heaven’s sake, and I’d like something to go right for him! He is, after all, my favourite 16 year old on the whole planet.
Still, I did get the Christingle service largely worked out in the gap after Little Fishes, managed to visit someone who really was rather glad of it…and even if the new Harry Potter film is less than wonderful, at least we saw it en famille, so perhaps there is hope.
Today, apart from the fact that the church notice-board (one of those affairs that is really a glazed cabinet) was frozen shut when I tackled it at 8.00 this morn, and that I amused the local youth hugely by attempting to wish Darling Daughter a good day as she rushed past for her bus to work (failing to notice headphones, which rendered her deaf and oblivious), I have finally managed one thing worth writing about.
I celebrated the Eucharist.
And it was, despite all my generalised grumps and specific failures, utterly wonderful.
As I broke the bread, the reality of my own responsibility for Christ’s death was terribly real…and then, as He always does, He came and turned that guilt and brokenness into the route to hope and transformation.
Thank you.
10 comments:
Gosh! Beloved TeenWonder is now of an age to join the Army, and yet I remember BTW when he was no more than incipient maternity leave! Congrats all round!
First, thank you for your words about the Eucharist.
And on a much lower plane: Did you not like the movie? We thought it was pretty good. i realize a lot was left out, but I thought the director got *much* better performances out of the young actors than the last one did.
ustin...it's worse than that. Maternity Leave was required for the imminent arrival of DarlingDaughter who is now, by some strange process, 18...and on a gap year...aargghh.
Fortunately, TW is a card carrying, Greenbelt attending, Private Eye reading pacifist...so we're spared the army at least!
While you're passing, was my guess at your blog identity right, or would it ruin things to tell me???? I'm intrigued, truly I am!
Songbird...sorry...really didn't rate GoF hugely. There were some priceless moments (the Malfoy ferret springs to mind...) the Weasleys were as fab as ever, but overall, it just didn't grip. DarlingDaughter and TeenWonder were very busy being cynical, which might not have helped, but they are both excellent at suspending disbelief as a general rule, so I take the fact that they could indulge in semi-witty commentary as a sign that not all was well in the world.Hard to pin down what exactly didn't grab me...I definitely wept far less at Cedric's death than when I read it (beautiful though he was), and was actually rather less than terrified at that whole graveyard episode on screen. Really had hoped for better :-(
errmm
Where did that "J" go?
That should, of course, read "Justin..."
Kathryn,
time is for wasting, we are not production machines. I guess it's too late for this year but there's a Christingle Srvice in "Candles and Conifers", the new All Saints' to Advent resource book from Iona Books.
Blessings
18 years ago! That's impossible! That would mean that sometime, a long time ago, I was young!
As for the Blogger identity, Yes, I am Kolly Kibber, and you may claim your prize, but keep it stum, ok? I prefer heaning in (relative) anonymity, and what the PCC don't read can't hurt them!
ditto Paul
yet I can sympathise with the feeling of frustration :( and really sorry to hear about the books :( mine arrived yesterday including three with duff covers, which I'll give to the three exchange students from the UK who have been in my cell group. They leave in a couple of weeks and I'll miss them dearly. I couldn't have afforded to buy them copies - so am amazed how God has arranged this.
Kathryn I loved what you said about the Eucharist. I too had a holy encounter on Wednesday - over at the Lutheran church where hubby and I were married.
Funny thing was when I reading your post I was just baking the loaf for Sunday's Eucharist service - but then the bleeper rang and as I lifted it from the oven ...it split into two ... wondering about the significance of that ... esp as I will talk on unity.
I expect I'll bake a new one on Sunday morning - I'd thought to do it today and freeze it as we've got company coming tomorrow. Son was confirmed in June, but we're only having the party now.
Don't ask!
My lips are sealed, truly, J :-)
And the 10 copies of "A Light blazes..."arrived just now (in a huge post office sack, for some reason which totally defeats me)so those members of the congregation who actually read the notice and absorbed the fact that there was a deadline will have their copies on time, which makes me feel MUCH better.
You never know, I might make it to Advent after all...
oh oh oh I'm so pleased they arrived (even if it was at the 11th hour!) :)
Oooh no, there you were on Wednesday abandoned and alone (though by the sounds of it managing to enjoy yourself quite nicely) and just a hop, skip and a shuffle over the Millenium Bridge, detour round St Paul's and up the road a bit away from me.
Coffee could have been had if only you had any idea I was there and any idea of how to get hold of me! Such is the fate of those who only meet in blog comments.
Post a Comment