a typical weekend in a typical church

This has been a typical weekend in a typical church. On Friday morning I spent some time revising a manuscript that is slightly overdue (thank you for your patience, Jill), and then I gave some thought to a writing assignment that is also due, that will be next on the conveyor belt (thanks for your patience, David). Then I went out to have lunch with about 30 of our members who reside at the Methodist retirement home. It is a bright, engaged and lively group, and they come from all over the U.S. Then I got ready for a wedding rehearsal dinner. Once the rehearsal was over, I wandered by one of the rooms in our church, where a sunday school class was having a fellowship night. Some of our closest friends are in this group. Then I went back to the rehearsal dinner. Then I went back by the ss class gathering. Then I wandered in the large gym (we call it a hall), where a large a.a. meeting was happening. It was happening there because their usual space (which we call the catacombs) was being used by several homeless families who are spending three weeks there. In the evening I met a couple of friends who were bringing a meal to these families. I then went back into the gym and listened to one of the anonymous witnesses. Amazing.

So four fairly lively gatherings were happening at one time.

I went home, went to asleep, woke up this morning, and returned to church. I did a little more work on the manuscript--I am making some progress. Then I met with a couple who will be married in the fall. Premarital counseling, they call it. Then I welcomed Richard and Julia Wilke, who are here for the weekend. Bishop and Mrs. Wilke are here for the weekend, leading a focus on Disciple Bible Study. We walked to a nearby restaurant for lunch, and they enjoyed the low country fare (which is not very prevalent in their native Kansas). We walked back to the church, where Bishop Wilke led a gathering from our district through a reflection on Disciple in the congregation and in the prison setting. As that ended I got ready for the wedding. It went fine--I shared in the leadership with a Moravian minister who is a friend of the family. Afterwards I congratulated the couple, and the parents, and had a picture made. Then, home...

Next...the semifinals of the Final Four. My predictions for the Final Four were on target. My predictions for tonight's winners: Memphis and UNC.

P.S. If you are in the Charlotte area tomorrow and don't have a church commitment, I invite you to hear Bishop Wilke, at either 8:30 or 11:00. He is one of the great spiritual leaders of United Methodism.