Today, for the first time, I was at someone’s place to ask them, together with Paula, about their wishes for the husband’s burial. It was for PB’s cremation services. Paula handled it really confidently. I wish I had that much confidence when I have to do the same thing later this year.
I am an apprentice. I am a copycat in a good way, or so I think. PB’s wife is a lady in her late 80s. She mostly agreed with everything that was on the list of events. Her daughter, who runs the farm, and her husband were really helpful with the choice of hymns and deciding who is going to give the eulogy and when.
I felt a bit stressed for the first time: rich people on a farm. I am rarely, if ever, on a farm, especially in this curate’s capacity — asking people how they would prefer to arrange the burial of their loved one. Argh.
I just said to myself that what I got myself into involves not just preaching (it’s like 10% of all I do, including preparation), but mostly taking care of people, talking to people, christening people, participating in people’s weddings, and, yes, burying people.
In other words, admin and people are those things that do take the lion’s share of my time in my work and ministry.
After that, as a sweet repose, we had some time to talk about it all with Paula. I told her about my fears of being around rich people and my proletarian background. Perhaps I shouldn’t have, but I already did, so hey ho.
Then we had a splendid lunch. Three of us — Joyce, Paula, and myself. We had a watermelon, which we thoroughly enjoyed up to our ears.
I uploaded around 34 illustrations to sermons and pictures to Instagram. That is some achievement. For me, it is extremes: either all or nothing. I have to work on not saying “Aristotelian middle ground”. I think Aristotle and Augustine will say to me: “Why have you used our names in vain so many times?” Trying to be funny.
Finally, at the very end, I spoke to Paula about the best time and place to give 4–5 lectures on the Psalms. She said that it might be possible to do them sometime after Jim does his in October.
Right now, I just sit in silence, thinking about whether I should eat the monkey nuts or save them for tomorrow.
Cheerio!