Spring is Coming

The weatherpeople are calling for 2-5 inches of rain this evening, so I spent a good chunk of the early morning strategically placing dirt on the northeast side of the parsonage to keep the water from sinking in.  (Before we arrived a contractor put in a dry well to collect the water from the downspouts, good idea, however, the contractor did a shoddy job filling the dirt back in.  After few years the dirt has sunk and sunk and sunk so that the water drains into the bottom floor.)  While I was wheelbarrowing back and forth I noticed both the Wilbur Lilac and the Tucker Rhubarb (named after the families who gave them to us) were budding - Spring is coming to New England!

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Tonight the church kicks off its Concert Series with the Andy DiPalo Jazz Trio.  They did a great job last year, I expect it will be even better this year.  I am hoping for a turnout of 100.

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I tried to go back to bed this morning after #1 got on the bus, but the coffee was in full effect so I laid down with many thoughts aswirling.  Yesterday while listening to the BBC Evensong, the recording was from Southwell Minster, I checked out the cathedral location.  While viewing the webpage I began to wonder about Baptist cathedrals.  I know we do not have chair for bishops, but we do have major churches that are historical and were mothers to many churches.  Why couldn't these churches serve as major points of education, arts and historical events?  Most of these congregations have very low attendance, the buildings cost a fortune and suffer from lack of funds.  Therefore have the churches within the region support the upkeep of the building while the "cathedral" church could provide a staff for regional events.  Just an idea.  I have serious reservations about this idea, Baptists do not tend to be "collective."  I surmise most pastors would view this as a "turf" war and would not be willing to sacrifice for the good of a regional gathering of fellow Baptists.  

One idea that may work I am working on here in town is a collective of Christian Education.  What if the local mainline churches got together to plan adult Christian Educational offerings?  

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Another idea that swam around in my head: a Baptist prayer book or a Baptist almanac - a way to connect with the saints, writings, prayers, events, and life narratives.  We would not have feast days but commemorative days.  

Perhaps the new robe is causing these ideas to emerge.