I have been much busier in the past two days that I really intended to be. I volunteered to do something that took more time than I thought it would, and then I had to learn Hebrew. (Well, not the whole language, but Lesson VII in the grammar anyway.)

Something has recently been on my heart and I've not known how to express it. As you, faithful reader, will know, I've recently been exploring and learning a lot about the Anglo-Catholic traditions of the Church. The more I've learned, the more I wanted to get steeped deeper in this beautiful expression of the faith. The more I've wanted to do that, and felt the need to do that, the more I've been aware that Seabury (check out the redesigned website!) does not provide this in our common worship life. So, I talked with several colleagues about it, and prayed about it as well. After doing that, an idea came to me the next day. For Lent last year, several Seabury students got together to say Compline late at night in the Chapel. I asked the organizer of this ministry if they would be offering that again this year and when he replied in the positive, I began to explain to him what I just mentioned to you. And then I told him my idea, which is based upon the principle of offering a more traditonal style of worship to complement the worship styles already employed effectively at our Chapel and to give us a fuller educational and formational experience. I volunteered to lead, one night per week in Lent, the Compline service from the Breviary that I've been learning and practicing recently. He thought it sounded like a great idea. So, I went home excited to put together an ordo befitting the style and tradition of the service. Whoops - bigger task than I imagined, given the rubrics that need to be included and what part of the service goes where. I worked all Tuesday night and only finished halfway. Tonight, I finished it up, and if I may say so myself, it looks good. It is my prayer that by offering this Compline service once per week during Lent, it will enkindle in others as well as myself a desire to learn and practice traditional styles more often. By no means should we replace what we already do, but only add to it. I think it would be of benefit to all who participated, and if done properly, I think more than imagine they would will find it interesting in the least and satisfying in the most. We'll see where this particular journey takes us.

-R