Bowling

I went bowling this evening with a couple of folks. I hadn't been bowling in at least 2 or 3 years, but since the new no smoking law in Georgia took effect, I was glad to go and come home NOT smelling like smoke.

While, I'm not the greatest bowler, I was glad to get above 110 each of the three games.

Speaking of being above 110, my BG numbers the last couple of meals have been well above 110, like 292 just a few minutes ago. I'm wondering if there's a problem with my infusion set since I've been calculating exact carb amounts. Hmm.

Lazy days

Not much is happening around here. Yesterday, I ran some errands including the bank and Costco. I got gas at Costco for $2.479. I felt pretty good about that. My gas light was on in the car, so I was definitely due.

I also read a good bit yesterday. I'm through with about 2/3 of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. It's a good book, but this one is very depressing. It's full of a lot of teenage angst and the successes of the Dark Lord.

Today, it's 11:30am and I haven't even gotten out of my pajamas yet. I'm debating about staying in them all day!

Church tomorrow should be pretty good. In the traditional service, the choir is doing an anthem by Mark Hayes called "To Love Our God." Here is a recording of it done by some random choir I found on the internet. (It's not the best recording and don't do the same interpretation, but you get the idea.) We've really taken to this piece. I think it's quite moving.

Uneventful

Not too much has been going on in recent days. I had a meeting yesterday about planning a youth choir festival. After much discussion, we decided on early spring 2007. I would have liked something sooner, like early spring 2006, but I guess in this case it's better to plan farther out.

I finished completing my music ministry budget for 2006. It's a little leaner. I'm sure I'll have to revisit some things.

I have no big plans for the weekend, which is not unusual.

Next week, I'll be completing an annual self-evaluation related to my employment at the church. I complete an evaluation and my supervisor, the pastor, completes the same thing about me and we compare the results. I did one last year, and I'd been there all of a month, so this one should be a little more productive.

Surreal Radio

I was listening to NPR on the way back to church from lunch today. I heard perhaps one of the strangest things one could ever hear on NPR. A handbell choir, the Raleigh Ringers, was playing "Pinball Wizard" from Tommy (the first ever rock opera) by The Who. I invite you to use your mind's ear and hear for yourself what that might sound like and then imagine that coming after hearing something like Dvorak's New World Symphony. Not the usual fare from NPR to say the least.

You can hear clips of some other songs RR has recorded at their website, including Led Zepplin's "Stairway to Heaven" and John Phillip Sousa's "The Stars and Stripes Forever."

Very quickly

We had a deacon ordination service Sunday night. It was a marvelous time of worship; the testimonies from the ordinands were outstanding.

Yesterday was staff planning retreat all day. We did get a good bit accomplished. We did a little team building too which is always helpful.

Tomorrow I'll be starting the DISCIPLE Bible study, a 34-week long study through the entire Bible. I'm looking forward to it.

The real reason for this post, however, is to share an email I received this morning about the interesting event this past Sunday morning.

Marty,

The Top Three Songs We Need to Have Ready in Case the Pastor Leaves His Sermon in the Office....

3. I Want to Be Ready

2. I Need Thee Every Hour (especially around 11:25am)

1. Throw Out the Lifeline

Craig,

The 5 Point Pastoral Pre-Worship Checklist.....

1. Make Sure Pants Are Zipped

2. Wipe Goofy Look Off of Face

3. Make Sure I Have the Sermon

4. Make Sure I Have the Sermon

5. Make Sure I Have the Sermon

Funny church story

Today, during the 11:00 traditional service, the preacher was just getting into his sermon. He was sharing this illustration about a humble bagel maker. As he's getting to the close of the illustration, he gets flustered all of a sudden. He looks down at the pulpit, looks up at the congregation and says, "My sermon's not here." Well...being the kind of preacher who is totally dependent upon his manuscript, he was in big trouble.

He pauses for a moment, obviously trying to figure out exactly what he was going to do next. He looks aver to me sitting in the first pew and says that he'd like for us to sing a hymn while he runs and gets his sermon from his office. When I get up to the pulpit, I, of course, have to say something to the effect of, "I won't tell you that I don't have my hymnal this morning, because I remembered to bring it with me."

So, we sing a couple of stanzas of "Holy, Holy, Holy." That hymn sure didn't fit the theme of this morning, but I only had a couple of seconds to pick one out of about 700, so I thought the first one in the book would be as good as any.

Everything after that was great, not excluding the sermon which turned out well. It's just one of those things that happens I guess.