Torchbearer
A couple bits of news for ya'll. (I'm taking a break from Latin. Trying to learn Latin in 4 weeks is tough. Doing so while trying to learn Hebrew and Church History c.1500-1850) is even worse. This starts next week.) Today I served as torchbearer (or acolyte) in chapel at the Divine Service. I've not done it before. We have two wooden posts with candles which process into the chapel along with the crucifix and a gold-covered embossed Bible. For the Gospel reading, we processed to the center of the nave and the returned after the reading. This was done while a small choir sang "Come, Holy Ghost, Our Souls Inspire" LW158. Some might call this "high church" and others excessive ritual. I disagree. There is no doubt that the congregation today honored the words of God in rite and reverence. I did bump into the Vicarage supervisor who in not so many words expressed small pleasure in the haircut. He said he liked how I kept it before but that in the past he had to use the "cause offense to the Gospel" wild-card with the long-haired folks. The one time there was resistance... that gentlemen had cut his locks off two weeks into vicarage. So apparently my cut has eased some minds. Silly, I know. But the formation of a pastor isn't about making the scheme fit me but making me fit their scheme. I knew this going in and accept it without reservation. (I had heard "rumors" from staff that the faculty preference was short hair.) I did another move this afternoon and I do enjoy being about 100 degrees cooler (hyperbole!) So my primary motivation has paid off as well. Back to Latin! Veni! Vedi! Vici!
