Candidating: Saturday

Yesterday I probably re-worked Sunday’s sermon a dozen times. (It has been suggested I would still be working my first sermon if an intervening Sunday hadn’t rolled around…) I also outlined my talk for the evening. I also packed.

Then I returned the rental car I’d been driving all week. (We found a couple of years ago that if we were willing to rent a car every once in a while we could be a single car family. We’ve rather enjoyed it. Not only have we saved money but we’ve had the priceless gift of feeling morally superior to our friends.) Picked up Jan and off we went. The plan is to stay at the Johnson and Wales Inn Friday and Saturday nights and return to Newton on Sunday.

Traffic heading south was rather thicker than we anticipated, but nonetheless we arrived in plenty of time to hang out with the gang before sitting down to dinner. These Friday evening feasts and talks are something of a tradition at First U. They’re a monthly event, although there will be two this May – me as the featured presenter last night and next week Lincoln Chafee. (While few here would ever have voted for him, he’s well liked as an example of a sadly declining breed of moderate Republicans) Such company in which to find myself!

There were one hundred and fifty-eight folk registered and it sure looked like all of ’em were there. I loved the fact there were so many younger folk. Definitely a healthy demographic range. After eating we made our way upstairs to the auditorium where I held forth for a little over half an hour (footnote: Jan says, well, closer to an hour…) and then fielded questions for another forty minutes or so.

‘Twas exhilarating, sharing my vision, answering, or trying to, concerns; and getting a feel for this group of people I’ve studied for quite a while but who I was only this week getting to actually know. As well, of course, as getting known.

I appear to have made no major gaffs.

Today I spend most of the morning with office hours, meeting people who wish for brief conversations. Then in the early afternoon a bunch of us are going to do a walking tour of the campus area (the church is nestled within the warm embrace of the sprawling Brown University campus…) The weather is drizzly, but if it doesn’t get much wetter it still should be fun.

Tonight Jan and I have dinner with the Search Committee. 

Not much more we can plan for. The event has taken on its own life. All we can do is follow it where it will go…