nearing the end...

i am nearing the end of this yearlong adventure.

tonight i had my last meeting with the intern committee. it was time to sign off on the evaluation.

i related to them the story of my entering town...

refer to one of the earliest blog posts last september...
the escaping cat, the fear of driving into the capitol, the supervisor parallel parking the uhaul/toyota echo combo...
funny, now.

a year later...

i got to see nancy pelosi speak from my lectern
i presided at my first funeral
i watched a bishop get installed
i preached at easter vigil and served communion next to the bishop at easter
i waved at the pope
i saw bishop gene robinson speak

and...
i taught those confirmation kids and had more kids and parents and families embrace me than i ever thought.

after my crazy two days with the young ones a couple weeks ago, the confirmation class had a surprise part for me. they made me a cake and gave me a jewelry box engraved with the senate seal. so sweet. then... the moms started telling me that the boys talked about reading the bible! such a proud moment. the young ones i taught retained something relating to their faith and tradition. a successful year.

quite a year.
i leave in 12 days. one more sermon and a week of vacation bible school. lots of folks looking for time with the vicar. lots of people to add into a tight schedule of 12 days.

hopefully the journey west will be a little less crazy than the journey east...
this time it feels less...something.

last year it was exciting. i knew i would go back to minnesota. i knew that i had a year of something ahead of me.
now the year is over.
now i am not sure what will be next. papers are already starting to be filled out for the final interviews for seminary...which means, i must contemplate leaving minnesota for much longer than a year. which means i really don't know where i will be after next june.

this move is a little less exciting, because i leave something, that i don't know if i will see again.

well...
we will see.

i have a little longer to see those last few museums...really need to see the spy museum before i head out.