The Arrow's Path

I made it through the first service at St. Paul's, and I still have my job. As someone said to me after the service, "Well, Father...one down, ten thousand to go!" It was a little bit odd to do one's first official service on Ash Wednesday, but there was also some freedom in that. The Ash Wednesday service is a powerful liturgy in its own right, which takes a little bit of pressure off the "new guy." Priests have to go out of their way to mess up the Ash Wednesday service. I do have a few humorous anecdotes that surfaced on my first day, however. (I am sure there will be plenty more.) I will entitle them, "You know your in a small town when..." The first involved the day before Ash Wednesday. I was not officially on the job yet, but had got sucked in as I am living in the rectory next door, and everyone knows the "new preacher" is in residence. I got a frantic call on the church phone, which rings into my rectory office if no one picks up...

The good news is that I found my digital camera at last, and it was completely not the movers' fault for losing it or putting it in some weird box. I had taken it in my dress coat pocket to St. Mark's for the farewell luncheon/baby shower, and the camera remained there for the move. I put my dress coat on today for a visit down to the Retirement home for an Ash Wednesday service and found it. The bad news is, I now have my camera, so many pictures of the parish and Brookings will no doubt be making appearances on my blog hereafter. This is the parish church where I am now the rector: St. Paul's in Brookings, SD. This is the view from the main street through Brookings. The window alcove used to be an entrance, but was bricked up some time ago. They have now restored it back to an alcove in the main nave that looks very nice. This is the main entrance, about 20 feet from the rectory. This is the main worship area. Its pretty traditional, built around 1900. The Lenten Purpl...

I have finally moved in and got internet and phone service hooked up to the rectory in Brookings, so I should be back to blogging and facebooking regularly. My digital camera got misplaced in the move, so until I buy another one or it turns back up, I won't be able to post too many pictures. This is irritating because there's a lot of stuff I want to take pictures of and blog about. I must admit, however, I thoroughly enjoyed not have to fiddle with a computer the last few weeks. I like computers, but I thoroughly enjoy the times when I don't have to check e-mail constantly. Those days are now at an end, at least until I go on vacation.

My dog, Max, came into the office yesterday to say goodbye. Luckily, we got to capture this happy but also sad moment.

So apparently Steve tagged with a variant of the Facebook 25 Things chain letter. The variant interested me, so I thought I would try it. Apparently the premise is similar, but has to do with things I believe in general. I think I will try to be quasi-serious about this one. (Keywords: I'll try.) So here we are in no particular order: The 25 Things: The Archer's Existential edition. 1. I believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, creator of heaven and earth. (might as well start out with the Creed. An oldie but a goodie.) 2. I believe in Jesus Christ His only son, our Lord. Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; He descended into hell. The third day He arose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. (Again, I'm apeing the Creed, but I believe it none the less. 3. I b...

You Are 70% Likely to Survive Another Great Depression Even though you may not be expecting the worst, you're the type of person who prepares for the worst. You live a relatively modest life. You don't overspend, and you aren't very materialistic. You are also quite self sufficient and independent. You have many useful skills. You can take care of yourself and those you love... which is crucial to surviving another Great Depression. Could You Survive Another Great Depression?

So, it is basically one week and counting until I move. The plumbing drama is finally about over, knock on wood. We've listed the house with the realtor. The time draweth nigh...

So I had a lunch appointment with a priest friend of mine this afternoon. The previous afternoon, I had put a toddler car seat into the front seat of my car, as the rest of my car was full of this and that. I didn't think anything about it. I just tossed it in, back part front. I forgot to take it out when I was home last night. As I was driving across town today, I noticed that people were giving me dirty looks. People who follow traffic laws in Lincoln have that effect on people, especially if they actually do something as gauling as stop for a red light. Then someone began honking at me, mouthing obviously unkind words, and making hand gestures at me or to my automobile. The first time it happened, I was not sure they were talking to me as it was a trafficky section of town. When it happened again, I began looking in all my mirrors to try and figure out what the problem was. I was following traffic laws as far as I could tell. Flat tire? Was my car on fire? What is the deal? The...

So I think it finally really, really hit me yesterday that I am going to be a daddy. A parishioner asked me last Sunday if I wanted her toddler car seat that she used for her grandkids and did not need anymore. It was almost new, so I figured why not? I mean they make car seats for kids nowadays that could safely project them into space, and as such they aren't cheap. The parishioner came by the office with it yesterday. The seat was as advertised. As I was getting ready to close up shop yesterday, I went out to my car with it. As I was physically putting a car seat into my car for the very first time, it dawned on me. Whoa, I'm going to have a toddler in the not too distant future. Kyrie Eleison!

I thought the Superbowl was going to be hard pressed this year to top last years stunner of the Giants over the Patriots. They managed to put one together that was as good, if not better. I think over all, I'd say last years was a bit better as the underdog pulled it off. This year's edition was a yawner for about half the game. The ending was spectacular, but Pittsburgh had the game in hand for a while, and then almost managed to let it slip away. They didn't have an answer when the Cardinals switched to the no-huddle offense. They simply got the last meaningful possession, and that was the game changer. I was certain that that Steelers had found a way to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, but they pulled it out of the fire. I must admit there was some serious dirty play going on, especially near the end when fists for flying. I agreed with John Madden, which does not happen that often, on that one play near the end when he thought that one Steeler should have been ej...