Annual Back-up Thurifer Gig

I was at St. James in Knoxville, Tennessee, on Sunday. I never really went there as a member when I lived here. I usually went to St. John's Cathedral when I was in college. I only discovered St. James in my seminary years because my aunt and cousin go there. St. James also has an incredible choir, so usually when I am in town, I go to St. James.

This of course usually entails Sundays when I am home for Christmas, and occasionally when I am home for a few weeks in the summer. So, all told, I probably have been to St. James a grand total of maybe ten times. For whatever reason, the rector there took a liking to me because he thinks highly of Seabury.

Last year at the Christmas eve service, I popped into St. James having only been there a few times during the summer and having had one small conversation with the rector over coffee. The rector came out looking flustered and happened to see me sitting in the pews with my aunt. He came up to me and said, "You went to Seabury, you know how to 'do incense,' don't you?" I responded that I did. I got drafted on the spot to do the incense because the only other person in the church that knew how was ill.

When I was at St. James yesterday, the rector again asked me if I was going to be there for the Christmas eve service. I had not really thought about it because sometimes I pop in at my mother's Methodist church. I told the rector that I guess I would be there, and, shazam, I'm back reprising my cameo role of Christmas eve thurifer.

Do they give Oscars for incense?

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