Went on an eighty minute pilgrimage up I95 to a Rite One parish, got there gas tank empty and on time (it was a Sunday miracle) and expect to return. 10/10 parish!
The first Sunday of Summer Choir, but a big group signed in for Hail Thee Festival Day. A cheerful baby with many things to say. A stellar sermon, and an extra blessing from one of our clergy for an intention our family's holding dear right now.
I read the passage from Acts for mp parish with only one slip-up. Six people (two adolescents and four infants) were baptized. I visited my husband's cremains in the columbarium after communion. It was a good Sunday.
It was good! We were supposed to have a baptism today but the family had to postpone it. Still renewed our baptismal vows anyway and our deacon preached a fantastic sermon… dare I call it a “fire” sermon? Yes, I think I shall! 🔥🔥🔥
We had red balloons & streamers for people to wave. Sang “Hail thee festival day!” And it’s our last Sunday of 3 services until the fall. Followed that up with an interment in our columbarium which was lovely.
A bit low-key because a lot of our focus was on the service the day before celebrating a newly-formed collaborative ministry among 6 parishes in our deanery. But. We renewed our baptismal vows. Were sprinkled liberally. Waved streamers and a dove. Wore red. Celebrated the Holy Spirit.
Pretty good but we had to leave a little early because there were a ton of confirmations (good) and I'd forgotten to bring anything for the younger kids to do (bad). But it was refreshing to be back.
It was lovely. We had a baptism. Lots of red. Blessings of graduates, too. Last day for choir until fall. Music director wore a white shirt, tie, and red pants.
Baptized baby looked around and was like, "OMG, all these are my people."
Packed. Fuller than Easter. The bishop preached a kickass sermon that more than one person told me at coffee hour was precisely what they prayed for. Someone who’s worshipped with us off and on decided to get baptized and got a member to sponsor her. The rocking out to Come Thou Fount was epic
It was wonderful! I love seeing the church decorated in the liturgical colours – it was beautiful and warm and welcoming. The priest even wore his robe and chasuble ^^ (the evening service is relatively low church, so it was a pleasant surprise).
Some households away for public high school graduations here in Houston.
Here’s a glimpse of today’s procession into the church. Just missed seeing the thurifer, crucifer, and torch bearers ascend the nine stairs from the nave up to the chancel, which is always dramatic.
Superb. Did Babel and the Upper Room. One is man reaching to heaven for self benefit. The other is God coming from heaven to meet us in our need and filling us with his entirety.
Lovely to be back at the altar of the Hill School Alumni Chapel for Pentecost & Reunion Weekend, and to hear a great sermon from my successor about not making either event a mere reminiscence & not a call to action.
Chaos score maybe 4 or 5 (out of 10) because visiting priest was exhausted but there was lots of Pentecost joy and good singing as usual. Soup Garden afterwards with someone who only speaks Kurdish, very Pentecost kind of problem to have, but she does know how to garden. Luganda service later on...
...also had good singing and a moderate chaos score (surprise!anointing meant we ran out of music but we were *also* celebrating the Uganda Martyrs so I played that hymn -- congregation were all made to learn it by heart at school -- one of those situations where context matters a lot).
I was playing organ for both of those services and I didn't get my day off on Friday (because I was on panel interviewing a new priest) and I am absolutely knackered.
Marched a double in our local Pride parade and bragged on our church's construction project a few times (turning Sunday schools rooms into transitional housing). Will catch the livestream for Pentecost after I have a nap. And clean the dried sweat off probably.
Great.
Part 1: A youth group sharing Bible stories, filmed and told throughout the year with popcorn and root beer floats with the whole church!
Part 2: D&D youth group meet up between 5 churches in the east-metro!
I noticed v. 2 of hymn 508 today and it really struck me. Had a heartwarming talk with an older woman about how we're always moving. A 17yo at coffee hour shared her experience volunteering for a church-funded school for the deaf based in the Philippines – she's been doing that for five years!
Parish picnic for Pentecost and the end of our program year. The children got me to go into the big inflatable a few times, and a family just returned to the US after a years long adoption process from Burundi. Another exhausting but good Sunday with some great people
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Baptized baby looked around and was like, "OMG, all these are my people."
Some households away for public high school graduations here in Houston.
Here’s a glimpse of today’s procession into the church. Just missed seeing the thurifer, crucifer, and torch bearers ascend the nine stairs from the nave up to the chancel, which is always dramatic.
“If ye love me” by Thomas Tallis
This was the first anthem sung during the administration of Holy Communion, hence all of the background noise.
Houston Ballet Folklorico
Dancing at our potluck lunch in the parish hall after the 10:00 AM Choral Eucharist.
Part 1: A youth group sharing Bible stories, filmed and told throughout the year with popcorn and root beer floats with the whole church!
Part 2: D&D youth group meet up between 5 churches in the east-metro!