Hi Father Ryan!
I had to supply priest out in a parish in Grand Island, Nebraska, this Sunday. The parish was a lovely little church in the down town area, with a beautiful interior and stained glass windows. I have to admit stained glass windows are one of the things I miss at the parish I serve as curate. There are some stained glass windows in the very back, but you can't see them due to the organ. The vestry is talking about putting in some stained glass windows at some point, but that will likely be years after I have moved on to another parish.
I also had to adapt to doing a Rite I service, which is not usually done at the parish I serve full time. I love Rite I myself, so it was a treat to get to talk about "manifold sins and wickedness" as well as the beautiful "We do not presume to come to this thy table..." prayer in the Eucharist that is not present in the Rite II service. I have always found this to be a loss for the Rite II folks because I think its one of the most powerful and rich prayers in the BCP, but if you never do a Rite I service, you miss it.
I think my personal treat being the supply priest came from a 6 year old boy, who was apparently thrilled that the priest shared his first name. When we were exchanging the peace, he came up to me and shook my hand and said, "My name's Ryan, too!" I didn't think to much of it at the time, but later as he came up to the altar rail for communion, he leaned over and said, "Hey, Father Ryan!" again. It was cute, but, again, I did not think too much of it.
It was only after the service at coffee hour that the boy's parents came up to me and said he had been excited all week at the prospect that the visiting priest shared his name. He came up to me then and grinned. He said, "Yeah! You're named Ryan, too, but your Father Ryan and I'm just Ryan!" At which point I smiled and said, "Well, all in good time. Maybe some day..."
If he grows up to be a priest, I have a feeling its going to be all my fault.
I also had to adapt to doing a Rite I service, which is not usually done at the parish I serve full time. I love Rite I myself, so it was a treat to get to talk about "manifold sins and wickedness" as well as the beautiful "We do not presume to come to this thy table..." prayer in the Eucharist that is not present in the Rite II service. I have always found this to be a loss for the Rite II folks because I think its one of the most powerful and rich prayers in the BCP, but if you never do a Rite I service, you miss it.
I think my personal treat being the supply priest came from a 6 year old boy, who was apparently thrilled that the priest shared his first name. When we were exchanging the peace, he came up to me and shook my hand and said, "My name's Ryan, too!" I didn't think to much of it at the time, but later as he came up to the altar rail for communion, he leaned over and said, "Hey, Father Ryan!" again. It was cute, but, again, I did not think too much of it.
It was only after the service at coffee hour that the boy's parents came up to me and said he had been excited all week at the prospect that the visiting priest shared his name. He came up to me then and grinned. He said, "Yeah! You're named Ryan, too, but your Father Ryan and I'm just Ryan!" At which point I smiled and said, "Well, all in good time. Maybe some day..."
If he grows up to be a priest, I have a feeling its going to be all my fault.
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