collinsmom wanted me to go pick up dog Rx. I got a call to attend a dying man only distantly connected to someone who used to be a member here (more about that, below). This morning, I got a call that someone who's been in and out of the hospital is back in with a blood clot. And all the while, my body has been not wanting to cooperate.Lessee . . . tender tummy, weariness, achy joints -- feels like a virus. No head cold type symptoms. May be a return of the Epstein-Barr Virus I've had before; or it could be mono, I suppose. Anyway, something is just not right. I feel like deep-fried dog poop. I'll call the doctor Monday.
I did go out briefly to zip by the bank, intending to go on and complete my rounds, but I just came home. I felt all hollow and tired. There is no point making my body do stuff that will only make me feel worse. So, anxious parishioners or not, everybody's got to wait until the Rev. Dr. is back up to snuff. I wouldn't do them much good, and I'd only beat myself up more trying to attend to them.
Meanwhile, the youth are gathering this afternoon for pizza, then a concert by Lost & Found over in the Cincy area. Then they will come back and spend the night at the church. I'm hoping to be able to do some of that with them, though I'm coming home to sleep in my own bed tonight. But if I don't get feeling some better this afternoon, I may have to punt on the whole series of downs.
I hate being sick.
As for the dying man, above, I got a call from an out of town son-of-deceased-member who visits once in a while. His brother-in-law, who lives in the far end of the county, is dying, and wants my care (and to do his funeral). Well, that's fine -- and flattering, I suppose. But I gotta tell ya -- these over-the-transom, non-parishioner funerals (and weddings) are a pain.
It's not that I begrudge them my attention -- don't get me wrong. But people who have never bothered to be part of the Church are always so over-the-top when they finally feel the need of a minister. Their weddings are piled-on production numbers; their funerals a search for one more thing to say/do/present.
"I would not have you grieve as others do, who have no hope," said Paul. We who share an on-going relationship in the Lord, and who are used to relating to each other in a worship context, don't need to pile up words and actions to convey faith, comfort, joy . . . Less is more, I always say. But if you don't speak the code, you have to go all out to try to convey the meaning of this event. That's fine -- I don't mean to criticize -- but it wears me out to deal with 'em.