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Hallo again to all. Lesson learnt. Sparks were flying today, though not in the way you are likely imagining in the light of the last decade or so in the Anglican Communion. Rather, sparks were literally flying—right into our eye. As we were standing in the sacristy after returning from the gospel, heating an additional disk of self-lighting charcoal to add to the thurible, we might have gotten a bit excited and close to the flame. A few sparks flew into our eye and burned for several minutes. Admittedly, it was not the worst pain we've ever had as thurifer. Not as bad as the time we gave ourselves a concussion learning to do figure-eights a few hours before an Easter Vigil as a teenager (sorry, Mother Susy—this may be the first you are hearing of this). And not as bad as the time we severely burnt ourselves quickly picking up charcoal and incense by hand after a child ran into us just as the opening hymn was starting (the parts of the service that didn't involve incense were spent running cold water over our injured hand). Neither was it as bad as whatever led to the small hole on our sanctuary floor*. Our boat boy laughed at us, but that seems to be completely ordinary behaviour for someone ten years old. So here we sit, typing this from a coffee shop with a still slightly-sore eye, pondering the gift of the Holy Ghost at Pentecost. Incense, of course, the laughter of that ten year old, song and chant, worship, communion, and those flying sparks. It would be silly to suppose that we are the first to slightly injure ourselves in an act of worship**, nor that this will be the last time. We can't pretend the pain that built calluses on our hands from swinging the thurible comes close to the pain intentionally caused through the wearing of sack-cloth, hair shirts, or self flagellation. Perhaps we are grateful that it was merely physical sparks flying. Our beloved Anglican Communion has gone through so much turmoil, both theological and ecclesiastical. Sparks of anger, sparks of disrespect, sparks of conflict. Perhaps some sparks of the Holy Ghost are what we need to bring us home and make us whole. See you next week (when we will be more careful with the thurible). |
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