"Playing Nice" in Ministry
Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost – Proper 21
(Year B)
Numbers
11.4-6, 10-16, 24-29; Mark 9.38-50
St. Gregory’s, Long Beach
I’m
going to let you in on a little of the private life of your Rector. A key part
of my morning routine is reading the Long Beach Press-Telegram on my tablet
while I’m eating breakfast. I read all the headlines of the daily news,
occasionally reading parts or all of articles that might interest me. And I
finish up with the most important part of the paper—the comics. That is the
part of the paper that I enjoy most. Some days, the only part I really
enjoy. And the part that is most critical to my morning routine, other than my
morning prayers. One of my favorite comics is “Baby Blues.” For those not
familiar with this little gem, it is the story of the MacPherson family—parents
Wanda and Darryl, and their three kids, Zoe, Hammie, and Wren. Zoe is the oldest
girl, aged nine. Followed by the only boy, Hammie, aged six. And then there’s
the baby girl, Wren, about a year and a half old. One of the ongoing themes of
the comic is the interaction between Zoe and Hammie. Hammie is a typical boy
for his age, always trying to find the perfect way to annoy his big sister. And
Zoe is at that age where she tattles on virtually everything that Hammie does.
Typical siblings. Not unlike the way my sister Lisa and I were when we were
younger (and sometimes still are). Only I’m older than Lisa. But when we were
younger, I would try to annoy her and she would tattle on me. Anyway, the
parents, usually Wanda, has to deal with Hammie’s antics and Zoe’s tattling.
Ah, family.
