Hallo again to all.

Of late, we have spent a lot of time waiting. Though we are told that patience is a virtue, we are, in fact, rather bad at it. We did not fare well yesterday, while waiting for a train that was 45 minutes late, nor waiting on a parade for the local patron saint's feast day to start. Missing traffic lights into our own parish church this morning was frustrating. Two years ago we wrote about a former priest of ours who was arrested on charges of distributing child pornography. Since then we have written of many pedophile clergy, but it was the sentencing of that specific man for which we had been waiting – and checking every few weeks. This week he was sentenced. Our waiting was over. Though not wholly satisfied with his sentence, it was not until we found ourselves singing 'Now the silence' today, that we realized just how active — and impatient — we are, at waiting.

Now the silence, Now the peace,
Now the empty hands uplifted;
Now the kneeling, Now the plea,
Now the Father's arms in welcome;
Now the hearing, Now the power,
Now the vessel brimmed for pouring;
Now the body, Now the blood,
Now the joyful celebration

We tapped our toe as the slow hymn progressed. We wait. Our daughter turns a year old next Friday. We wait. We return to graduate school next fall. We wait. Governments move slowly in frightening directions. We wait.

Now the body, Now the blood,
Now the joyful celebration
Now the wedding, now the song,
Now the heart forgiving leaping.

Now the Spirit's visitation, Now the Son's epiphany
Now the Father's blessing, Now, Now, Now*

So what do we do now? We love our neighbor as ourselves. We rally against oppressive governments. We serve those who need God's loving presence more than we.
Now. Now. Now.

See you next week.

All of us at Anglicans Online

15 September 2019
http://anglicansonline.org

*Jaroslav J. Vajda 'Now' in Hymnal 1982. Church Hymnal Corp: New York.