Who knows where the time goes...

I know I have posted on this theme - and this song - before but it is becoming a theme in my life:  who knows where the time goes?  This past weekend I was blessed with another full, demanding and creative 72 hours.  Sunday worship was mellow, intimate, fun and meaningful.  Afterward, while two dear friends shared their "Retro Coffee Hour" - think many things coated in lime jello - 25 of us slipped out and headed down to Connecticut for the ordination of a daughter of the church.

Rebecca Floyd - born, baptized, confirmed and held "in discernment" at First Church of Christ in Pittsfield - was ordained into full-time Christian ministry in her new church home on Sunday, June 9 @ 4 pm.  I had the honor and privilege of both leading the ordination ceremony and then saying: In the name of Jesus Christ, the head of the church, I declare you to be ordained into the ministry of Christ Jesus our Lord.  

It was a rich and full time of worship with a bag piper, a gospel choir, preaching from the ordinand's father (and my predecessor at First Church) and Eucharist.  There was a reception and finally a dinner for about 100 that brought the night to a close at about 10 pm!

Heading home the next day, I kept thinking of how close we have all become over the past six years. I was ordained in the Fairfield West Association of the United Church of Christ 31 years ago, too!  And just to make the "circle unbroken" I was driving home to spend the evening and next day with my Sunday School teacher from my high school days:  Malcolm Bell.  We have been friends since 1968 - and he and his wife Nancy were coming to spend the night to discuss my "spirituality of rock and roll doctoral dissertation."

It was a holy and sweet time together after way too long apart.  We went to our local tapas bar - and heard some of my friends play jazz - and then talked into the night (and the next morning) about my "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" master work.  It was an important critique and I have a few new ideas about how to make it ready for prime time.

After they departed late this morning, I got a chance to write this week's sermon on one of my favorite texts:  the woman who broke an alabaster jar of perfumed oil on the feet of Jesus.  (I will post that tomorrow.) And all day I have been simultaneously grieving the attacks of friends and allies in Istanbul, Turkey - rejoicing for a renewed connection with Malcolm and Nancy - celebrating the goodness of God in the call to ministry of Rebecca - and praying for two friends from church who just received news of a diagnosis of MS:  ALL in one weekend!
Who knows where the time goes:  my oldest daughter is 2/3 through her first pregnancy, we all leave for the Montreal Jazz Festival in two weeks and I am starting to construct the broad outline of my sabbatical program for 2015.  Life is so good - so hard - and so full...