God was serious

It's a cloudy-trying-to-be-sunny Monday morning, and I am dawdling on tackling editing the prayer book - it's a rather large elephant, and I'm feeling a bit at a loss as to where to begin to take my first bite.

And since I was at a loss where to begin, I went to talk with the dean.  We were discussing the women's clergy retreat next week (which I really don't feel I have time for, and I told her this, though I doubt that gets me out of it), and other things going on, and then she said, "God was serious when He brought you here."

This was just the encouragement I needed today.  Thanks, God!

Things I never thought I'd do, number 384

Things I never thought I'd do number 384: be interviewed for a documentary. UBC, one of the networks here, is doing a documentary for the centenary celebration of the Bishop Tucker School of Divinity and Theology.

This is great for us, as they approached us (and therefore are paying for it), so it is free labor and publicity.

Today, the dean decided that as a pioneer, UBC needed to interview me. So she called me at lunch, and asked me to come be interviewed.

Thankfully, it was very short, and I'm hoping I didn't make too much a fool if myself!

Introducing... Venerable Jessica Hughes

In yesterday's announcements in chapel, Canon Alfred, in noting my assistance with the logistics with the Practical Studies department (making the chapel rota for the semester (several times - and I thought it would be easy!), essentially being the tutor for this week's team, making booklets so we could test the new liturgies, and probably some things I'm forgetting), he called me the Archdeacon.

Archdeacons are just below bishops in the hierarchy, and are in charge of archdeaconry, as you can well imagine.  As near as I can tell, they administratively run the archdeaconry, and report on its health and welfare to the bishop.  So, they're rather well-regarded, as all the priests in the archdeaconry report to them.

So, when Canon Alfred called me the Archdeacon, we all had a good laugh, most especially me.  I was made a priest two months ago, and now I'm an archdeacon?

Then today, in the Dean's Hour, the dean was noting that we need to have a way to track chapel attendance, and that the Archdeacon would be handling that.  

This worries me for two reasons:  1. this archdeacon label, while funny, could be interpreted seriously by someone at some point, and 2. I need to come up with a way to quickly account for approximately 125-150 people, five times a week?  Egads.

As I noted, the roof on the Bp Tucker building is being cleaned, and aluminum sheets are being put down to stop the leaking.  Praise the Lord.

However, early in the project (about two weeks ago), we had a torrential rain.  When I was walking back from church, there was a man on the roof with a tarp trying to cover the roof.

Oh, it POURED in the building.  The theology offices upstairs were flooded, as well as several offices downstairs.  Computers, furniture, carpets, all drenched.

Praise the Lord, the IT guys were able to salvage the equipment, and I think only one PC is having issues.  Making those offices most effected to be habitable again - that's a different story.

So the Theology and Child Development offices have joined me in the upper floor of the old library.  Two of the classrooms have been converted to offices, and the dean is in an unused office.

I went from complaining that it was eerily quiet up here, to now adjusting to the tromping of students in and out for the offices.  How fickle I am!  I will say that it's wonderful to not have to leave the building to go see the dean.

Happy new year (officially)!

Happy new year! (officially).  It's still January, so I can still say it.  And I've been wished a happy new year in February by someone I'd not seen yet in the new year, so perhaps it's never too late?

As we say here, I've been lost (meaning you've not seen me).  The semester officially began on Monday, and it's been Mr. Toad's Wild Ride.  It's a bit sad that I commented to the dean yesterday that I went to bed at 7:45 the night prior (and I read for an hour, but I was gloriously in bed), and she told me I was lucky.

Despite my silence, I've missed you, and have a list of things to tell you that I hope to get around to soon.  Fortunately, I have internet in my office the vast majority of the time, so that should help get me going, because once I get home, I'm not all that keen on turning on my laptop again.  Go figure!

Roof work

Hallelujah! The tiles of the roof of the Bishop Tucker building are getting removed, cleaned, and being returned. The school did this in about 2005 (?), but neglected to put down aluminum sheets first, so the roof leaked like a sieve.

We are rather hopeful that this will help the water situation. Now, we wonder whether the work will be done before students return next week.

Me, I see this as an opportunity I work from home. :). Class isn't officially in session, though the university is open. The banging is a bit much, and I don't need to have the dust aggravate my low-level crud. So I'll check in on the dean, and head home. I have plenty to do.