Feeling a bit less wiped out now...

from a wonderful but draining weekend on beautiful Whidbey Island in Puget Sound. I tried earlier to re-post my homily from Sunday and got posted but then tried to tweak it a little bit and ended up having to delete it all again. I may try again tomorrow, because it's a good homily.

I was so pleased this morning to learn (at Worship Committee) that a couple of new folks in the congregation (temporary residents of the island, staying with members here while they deal with a health crisis) told their hosts that they thought that I was one of the most articulate preachers they had heard, and they've done a lot of traveling around in their own ministry and have heard a lot of preachers! What a compliment! I was bowled over because I was truly a bit intimidated by their presence yesterday. They themselves are among the very best speakers I've ever heard.

We're working at starting a couple of new music groups, not for performance but for enjoyment and for learning new skills. My Trilogy pals, Richard and Debbie, and I are getting together occasionally to work on our improvisational jazz stylings. I want to learn to sing more interpretively, if that makes sense, doing some of the jazzy stuff that Ella and Etta and those ladies know how to do. I'm kind of scared to take liberties with rhythm and melody because I'm afraid I'll get it wrong, but they are encouraging and it's been fun so far.

There's also a bluegrass group meeting occasionally but I'm not sure I will try to be very involved in that one. I'm realizing that my spare time only stretches so far and I don't want to fall short in any of my work for the congregation. I do love bluegrass, but I may have to enjoy it only as a listener.

Tomorrow is my day in Coupeville at the hospital; I have three other visits to make up in that area, to folks who are less mobile and can't get to church very often. I love doing this kind of work. On Tuesdays I almost always come home feeling like I have done a good deed, whether it's in having a deeper conversation with a hospital patient or with one of our shut-ins. It makes Tuesday a very special day.