Our Bishop is Still Here

I never expected Bishop Alan to spend much of the past two days with us, and then call to say that he'd be free again after 9 p.m. tonight (after 2 days of Episcopal-Methodist "dialogue") if we all wanted to get together. So it is that Beth P and I have been participating in an ordination, hosting and visiting and introducing our bishop, and otherwise completely being taken away from our academic assignments. It's now nearly midnight, and the reality of an ethics paper will be upon us in the morning -- plus the reading assignments for two other classes that will happen.....how?

Even so, it's gratifying that Alan still is talking about my having taken him yesterday to the Shakespeare garden so that we could talk about formation and ordination and pray for each other in a quiet space away from the seminary. He all but accused me of being a Methodist. I objected: "A Methodist?!" "It's your poetic soul," he explained. "Don't ever lose your poetic soul."

On that note, I suppose I should go to bed. Meanwhile, if someone could enlighten me as to how on earth I can produce a ethics paper by tomorrow night, read two books, send out the student government minutes, plan Convocation, and finish the Ordo for next week before I go back to Iowa at noon on Friday, I'd be most grateful.