Getting ready for some vacation time (part two)...

Part two of my vacation time this summer couldn't have come at a better time:  I have two more weeks to chill and regroup after a full and emotionally complicated summer.  For week number one, I'm going to do some house painting and home repairs with my honey - and watch a LOT of French movies, too.  Then for week two we head out to the Eastern Townships of Quebec for a look around the quiet country outside of Montreal.  We'll bicycle along the wine trail and see what grabs us (and maybe sneak into Ottawa for a day, too!)

Tonight our church band really wanted to get together - because of vacations and family tragedies we haven't played much this month - so away we go to band practice.  One of my dear buddies who has been out of commission re: singing for the past four months will be back with us, too so that will be extra sweet.  And what a wild ass night this will be given the range of songs we're working on:

+ Peter Gabriel's "Don't Give Up" a la Herbie Hancock with vocals by John Legend and Pink.

+ An acoustic rendition of the Beatles' close harmony masterpiece:  "Because."

+ Carrie Newcomer's everyday life credo:  "I Believe."

+ Taylor Swift's tender:  "Safe and Sound."  And the Boss man's new gospel anthem: "Rocky Ground."

Talk about an eclectic evening - with maybe a pint thrown in afterwards!  Tomorrow, the last day before vacation, I have 4 interviews with great people interested in our Christian Education ministry. That will be exciting, demanding and rich - and important to try and nail down - before I head out of town.  This has been a deep and rewarding week and I am grateful.

A reworking of the Lord's Prayer from Iona says it well:

God in heaven,
your name is to be honored.
May your new community of hope
be realized on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today the essentials of life.
Release us from our wrongdoing
as we also release those who wrong us.
Do not test us beyond our enduring;
save us from all that is evil.
For you embrace justice, love and peace,
now and to the end of time.
Amen.