In The Good Old Summertime

So it’s still Spring but this week is beginning to feel like Summer. All of a sudden, it’s short sleeve weather. Today saw an Osceola Seniors picnic at the Oakey Park shelter. We talked about the beginnings of what may be congregate dining at the Osceola Senior Center in what has been called up until now The Discovery Center. As we move to put this together, we will be finding out how things will work as we go.

Speaking of short sleeves, tomorrow is an outdoor wedding I’m doing for Bjorn and Maisey, Bjorn being one of my grandsons. It’s outdoors at Bavaria Downs, which is way over in Chaska, Minnesota, which is a bit like being on the other side of the world from where I live. And I think I’ve finally found a solution to keeping the wedding rings from rolling off my hymnal as I bless them: I’ll have the Best Man hold them in his cupped hands. Blessing rings that way has GOT to be as valid as having them placed on my hymnal. After having the Groom’s ring roll off into the rose bushes during my daughter Hannah’s wedding, I have been nervous about that part of the ceremony.

Last week was my last Sunday service at Taylors Falls United Methodist Church. I was able to do their worship service following our service at Wolf Creek. Their new pastor comes this weekend. We–the Taylors Falls congregation and I– like each other and I’ve been there often enough that I’m a known quantity. At the end of last Sunday’s service, people offered me profuse thanks for our month together and several people were in tears. I found their response very moving and I am grateful to the Lord for that ratification as I try to bring to people an understanding of God and of the relationship God says God wants with all of us. We need the assurance of that possible relationship in these difficult and angry times.

The WPCA-FM story this week was “Annika’s Angel”. As I listened, I think the story reads better in print than hearing it. That’s because the story is told in segments, separated by days and even a few weeks. It’s also very conversational in the early going and that back-and-forth talk may be difficult to follow when one listens, rather than reads. Still, the story has a punch at the end and some cute moments prior to that. (“I think,” I said, “that when someone buys one of your pieces of art, you giggle all the way to the bank.”)