Weekly post

April 23, 2007

Dear friends,

I have learned that with youth groups there is no such thing as being a spectator. I had been looking forward all year to the second annual "Youtheran Idol" lip-syncing group presentations, when one of the adults innocently asked, "Wouldn't you like to go watch one of the groups rehearse?" Famous last words. Somewhere out there (watch for it on YouTube) is a video of the vicar, hardly dressed for an aerobic workout (30 minutes of rehearsal included), lip-syncing and doo-wopping with six kids in a performance of "Stop in the Name of Love." God help us.

I preached yesterday at Emmanuel, and it went beautifully. You might remember that I was never happy with my sermon on Transfiguration Sunday, February 18, and never felt fully engaged with the text. On this occasion, my text was John 21:1-19, and I delivered the Gospel and preached the sermon entirely without notes, not even an outline. I had become sufficiently engaged with the text and its message that I knew what I had to say and approximately how I wanted to get there. I was energized and passionate, and it was a good sermon. Whew!

On the academic side, I had a Greek hour exam on Friday that I did badly on despite having studied diligently for it. I'm attempting to just curl up in a ball and wait for the remaining five class sessions and then the final exam. I also sincerely hope that today I will have returned to me a paper that my homiletics professor has had for two weeks and an exam that the theology professor has had for seven weeks. Or eight?

WOOHOO -- five more class sessions for my Monday-Wednesday-Friday classes, Greek, Theology and Homiletics. I am continuing to explore possibilities for summer work, but the possibility of supplying at the church in Summerfield depends on the church making a decision about wanting an interim, and that can't be rushed. I plan to e-mail my conference contact today and ask him about it.

Grace and peace,
Beth