Tidying up

Today, there is an autumnal sense of things working themselves out, coming to a conclusion, if you like...dropping their leaves
The youngest SC will take me to see comedian Ardal O'Hanlon tonight. This will mark (for me at least) the end of the Fringe Festival . Having to wait until the very last day to see the one thing I really wanted to see. I am interested that O'Hanlon is often referred to as the "young priest" in Fr Ted as if it was his only role. Certainly it was a fine role. Some classic quotes:

• "I'm no good at judging the size of crowds Ted, but I'd say there's about seventeen million of them out there."
• "Sorry Ted. I was concentrating too hard on looking holy."
• "Of course the Italians know about football alright, and of course the world of fashion! God Ted, do you remember that fella that was so good at fashion they had to shoot him?" (I think 'that fella' he is referring to is JPII)
  
• "A one-word film. There can't be too many of those. 'Salem's Lot?"
• "Do you believe in God then Ted?"

I also think he should be remembered for the quirky Irish superman in My Hero. But that seems to have slipped under most people's radar.

Today (my day off) I have to keep exactly the same appointment I had on Monday because my supervisor didn't turn up and the message didn't get through....in fact it evaporated into the ether, which is always suspicious! So half the monring will go driving miles out of my way to do what should have been completed four day ago.

Then tomorrow there is Mandatory Notification Training in the parish. This is a sign of the times, as we recognise that there are legal responsibilities for public leaders of the Church towards other people who may have been involved in abusive situations. I don';t have to go as I am "up to date", but I will have to appear at the beginning. It will not be the last such training.

Then I realised as I was thinking about blogging that this training will have a consequence on the other end of the day because "Church" will have to be set up in the same space as training is being held. Despite the best will in the world to be back in St John's after the fire by the end of March, we won't quite be there. We will, hoffentlich, be able to worship there on Good Friday but we are not quite there yet.

My desire to do everything twice as fast we have normally done this year , then we might actually approximate the speed at which it ought to be done, is proving vain. Churches are incredibly slow...the whole process of committee's deciding and volunteers implementing stuff is tortuous. I am not autocratic by nature (maybe this is a cop out) but I can't help but think that there is something to be said for dictatorship in terms of getting the routine stuff done.
The various renovations in the house which I had hoped might have been begun before S & I were away for a few weeks will be waiting until we return, so that kids don't have to cope with workmen traipsing in and out of their lives at 7 a.m. in the morning.

As Holy Week looms, I felt three weeks ago that everything was under control. I now feel the familiar sense of panic caused by the above events and more; that there is simply not enough time to do everything that needs to be done. This time next week we will be into it. And it won't make any difference whether I am ready or not...it will have to happen. That is one of the lesser known "goods" of Good Friday!