That white plastic runner down the middle is also used here as a water slide, when water is poured over it, so all the children got very excited, exclaiming "it's a water slide". Needless to say their hopes were dashed.
Mark and Mary, and the bride's family, are Messianic Christians. I am not sure what that is except that they are Christians and follow Mosaic Law. I thought that Mark, as head honcho of their faith community would officiate at the wedding, but he wanted for a change to be part of the family, so they asked a good friend, a minister from a Baptist church to officiate.
The bride and groom walking down the aisle, or the water slide. She was very pretty, and it was a lovely dress.
I didn't take any pictures indoors at the reception. I left when I saw other people were saying goodbye and leaving. Everyone had finished eating and were sitting around and chatting for quite a while; there didn't seem to be any move to speeches, toasts or cake cutting. I saw the cake and some champagne glasses, but the cake was a single layer baked in a 9" cake tin, so obviously wasn't intended for everyone. Perhaps the family carry on with a private celebration when the friends have gone. I wasn't sure of the protocol but would rather leave too soon than outstay my welcome.
Driving back from the wedding I passed a Baptist chapel and remembered that Larry, our previous hospital chaplain, was acting as interim there, so this morning, Sunday, I went there to catch up with him. I had a long chat after the service with his wife, Vicki. I had heard that they were going to either Alaska or Hawaii. I mistakenly thought though that he was thinking of them primarily as locations per se, but in fact in both places there was a church that needed him, and Vicky said he would only ever go to a church that needed him, that could use his gifts and abilities, he is well known for bringing dying churches to life and making them thrive.
In Alaska he was going to interim until someone permanent started in June, but then the permanent person was able to start earlier, so they felt that was a door that closed and they turned their attention to Hawaii. She said it was a tiny island they were thinking of, with a population of about 4000, and in that case too the permanent position was unexpectedly filled, so as the needs of both these churches had been met, they looked around them in Shawnee and this chapel is struggling and dying on its feet. So he has taken the permanent position there and feel that is where they are meant to be, where God means them to be.
This afternoon I went to see Faure's Requiem at St Gregory's, the Catholic University.
No comments:
Post a Comment