hush my mouth

The church office is a large room connected to the manse, which is big and old and gorgeous and empty, since the last minister headed out. It's full of old woodwork, big windows, a really lovely sunny kitchen and a three room basement. The yard has big maple trees in it and the livingroom window overlooks a lily bed. I love that house. I've gotten used to being there by myself - the grumblings and creakings of the house settling itself to sleep don't bother me anymore, and except for the occasional schoolchild raising money knocking on the door, it's a quiet and peaceful place to work.

Our parish has been without a minister for some months now, and the search is on for a suitable replacement. Meetings have been held in each of the churches and in the manse to discuss what the next move will be - a full-time minister? A part-time? Shall we share one with a neighboring community?

Tonight when I first got there there was a full meeting going on in the dining room - candidates being mentioned and suggestions being made. I closed the connecting door, flipped the radio on low, and only heard mumbles for about an hour, when the meeting broke up. Everyone left out the front door except one of the women who came in to give me a brief synopsis and to talk about what she needed for the Easter service.

But soon, the house was quiet again. I finished the first batch of Easter bulletins (the communion service) and began running through the second, non-communion group.
While those were going through the copier I began working on the computer, typing out and formatting the Sunrise Service bulletin. Of course, halfway through creating them, the computer froze and I had to begin again.

Stupid computer. I started again. This time it only let me get through the first page before flashing bright blue 'SYSTEM UNSTABLE' - this screen dictates that there will be at least a ten minute wait while the computer hems and haws and smoothes its ruffled skirts and decides whether it wants to play nice or not. This time it did...for a little while. Then SYSTEM ERRORS began popping up like bad habits and the whole thing went to hell.

I'm afraid I got a bit vocal at that point. Pointing my finger at it, I discussed its parentage at length and was stabbing the reset button when I heard a chair fall over out in the kitchen. Seconds later, the door opened. 'Everything okay in here?'

Well, shit. It appears I turned the air blue in front of two Council members and the Treasurer.

I think I fell off the short list to be asked to teach Sunday school.

They are, however, taking the computer in to be fixed.