I have a disease...and the only cure is more church

You know, I never thought I would say actually say this, but during this week off of school I have missed going to chapel services.  The chapel normally offers three services a day and I have been trying to go to two services a day, including one Eucharist and usually evening prayer since waking up for morning prayer has proved to be a little more difficult than I had originally thought when I first arrived.  Since we have been on break for the last week the chapel has been closed and the first service that I attended all week was today's service and it felt good to be there.  It felt good to be a part of a community and to worship God.

Today I went to the Church of Our Savior in Mill Valley again, but I was going because Jason was preaching his first sermon to that congregation.  I went there to support him and to hear the finished product since he bounces ideas off of me and we talk about them.  He also wanted me to videotape his sermon because it is a requirement for his homiletics course.  Jessica came with me to support Jason as well, so I am sure he appreciated having at least two members of the CDSP community there with him.  He did really well.

I was also once again familiar with the Offertory Anthem this morning.  They sang Mozart's Ave Verum Corpus.  Jessica and I were sitting in the congregation humming along to the choir's rendition.  She was humming the alto part and I the bass part.  The choir was ok and the music director/organist made a few mistakes.  Over the past two months I have heard an array of anthems and each one I have had the opportunity to sing at St. John's.  While at first I was reluctant to join the choir at my home parish, but I dad nudged me along and soon enough both he and I were the two men singing in the choir.  Of course when he became sick I was there alone.  for almost three years after I was the lone male in a small choir.  I am now thinking that all that time has been and will continue to be an experience that has helped prepare me for my ministry.  Life has a funny way of unexpected experiences becoming quite formative in our lives.