I often find that I sort of dread coming in to the office on Tuesdays. There is always the inevitable number of things that need to be seen to from Sunday; calls to be made, follow-ups, etc. There is the regular weekly staff meeting to go over the calendar for the coming week, and on at least two Tuesdays of the month, there are two institutional services that need to be celebrated. As well, I try to discipline myself to start each new week by writing at least 5 thank you cards to people in the Cathedral community who have given themselves in ministry.
Today was a Tuesday much like the others. It was going to be packed with all manner of activity. I sat to write the Thank you cards. I wasn’t really ready for the staff meeting. I thought, “Couldn’t I just take a pass on the cards this week so that I can get myself caught up on other things?” Just then a parishioner passed by in the hall talking with a friend. she said, “You know, I’ve been going through a really down time lately, but just the other day I got a hand-written thank you note from the Dean, and it just turned that whole day around.” I heard that and realized, perhaps its far more important for the administrative things to take a back seat. Its far more important to find the time for that little note of thanks.
I ran off to the first of the two Eucharists that I have to celebrate today. It is held in the Library at St. Lawrence Place. The congregation was rather small, but they are such a lovely and dedicated group. They told me that one of their number was missing from the group because she had been in hospital for quite some time, and though she was back to St. Lawrence Place, she was just not feeling all that well today, and wondered if I might be able to bring her communion in her room when I was finished the service with the others. I adjusted the amounts to be consecrated and had the celebration with the gathered group. Afterwards, Canon Tony Capon, Anglican Priest, led me to the room of our missing friend. When I gave her the Eucharist, it was obvious how very much it meant to her to have been included in the prayers and in the sacrament. It took so little time from my already busy day to go to a room in a Retirement Home and to share the sacrament, but to one person, it meant the world.
As if God had not delivered the message of the importance of simple acts of love, I went off after lunch to take the service at Providence Manor. Our usual congregation gathered, including one woman who arrived at the Cathedral at the age of four, and has continued as a member there for almost 106 years since. Her eyesight is failing, and she gets confused when she is brought into a Roman Catholic Chapel and told that she is at the Anglican service. Today, she began the service a little agitated, but gradually settled in to the familiar words of the Eucharist. When the service was done she called me over as she usually does. She raised her hands toward my face, and I expected the usual drill. She usually pulls me in close so that she can examine my face and make sure that I truly am who the volunteers have told her that I am. So I leaned in close and said, “I’m the Dean, Margaret.” She got a funny twinkle in her eye, and she said, “I don’t give a damn if your the Dean, or who you are, I’m still gonna kiss you.” After she kissed me, she thanked me several times for coming and bringing her Communion. Once again it was clear that this most simple of offerings made such an amazing difference in one person’s life. And that the simple ministry to one christian soul brings such joy to clergy life.
Returning to the Cathedral, I bumped into another member of the Cathedral who was there doing her regular work of service. She called me over, and said, “I was so moved to get your Thank you card this week. I’ve been doing this job under six music directors, and I don’t think I can even count how many Deans, and I don’t think anyone before has ever taken the time to SAY thank you, much less to write a card”. A few minutes spent composing a note can help someone feel that what they are doing really does make a difference and truly is important.
So often in the busy-ness of our day to day living, we tend to rush by, and miss those tiny opportunities that would allow us to truly make a difference. I know that I am far from perfect. i know that I often find myself over-scheduled; overly rushed, and quick to lose sight of those little opportunities to share God’s love. I guess that today I was just fortunate enough to have seen how God might be calling me to share God’s love in a couple of tiny encounters. Keep your eyes peeled today. Who knows where God might be planning to put you to work.
