The Weekend - Ordinations, Travels, and the Coming of Spring.

Beaumaris in the Morning.
Tuesday.
The sun rose pale gold. Now the sky is blue and it looks to be a perfect spring morning.
We flew to Melbourne on Thursday evening so we could spend my Friday day off in Melbourne doing the things we like to do in Melbourne before the business kicks in.
We have been staying with our friends Ray and Jenny here in Beaumaris - as always they are more than generous hosts. We are well fed, watered, and sheltered.
As I had no homiletical brushing up to do for Sunday, we spent Saturday in the city as well.
We had a good time we walk for miles and miles, we ate well, we admired art, we rode the rails - I do wish we had a decent public transport system back in Adelaide.
Sunday was long, exciting, and exhausting.
We attended morning services with my former congregation in Moorabbin ably led by my mate Pastor Ray Pace. Then it was straight out to Croydon to Outer Eastern Lutheran Church at Luther College for the long awaited ordination as pastors of my friends Michael Kuagany Jang and James Luk. A great day. I had hoped this to happen eight years ago, but I guess the time wasn't right then. On Sunday I carried the cross and led the procession for my brothers - the Bishop laid on his hands and said the words - I confess that I felt a bit emotional as I stood behind the kneeling Michael with my right hand on his shoulder - as I said when I spoke greetings to them later at the altar, I felt like a proud uncle. The Sudanese choirs sang, the women trilled, tall men in spectacular suits and smart shoes took photos, shouted out, clapped and sang. It was a weary old me who staggered up the stairs leading the mass of clergy back out of the chapel. Later, disrobed, I swam through the familiar deep waters of more than 500 happy Sudanese Lutherans - all much taller than I, a sea of bright colours and patterns with me immersed way over my head. It felt pretty good to be back with my Nuer family - greeted, embraced, and kissed by shining black faces and bright white teeth.
It was a long day for an old, glucose and energy challenged man! Evening had come when we got back to the Pietsch Haus at Beaumaris and enjoyed Jenny's delicious soup and Ray's excellent wine.
I am glad I decided to take yesterday off to recover - a Monday in lieu of Fridays lost when pastoral business required me mor than leisure did. If we'd flown back on Monday morning, I know that I would find it hard to cope this week.
Monday morning we made a visit to an old and not well friend Hermann - I suppose, realistically, it will probably be the last time we meet in this life. It was good to see him and Margaret.
We spent the rest of the day nicely with Jenny taking us for a drive down the Mornington Peninsula. We luncheoned at Merricks in the imaginatively restored general store with its adjacent gallery.
Now this morning the Pietsches are at the gym, Joy downstairs reading the paper, and me languishing lazily in bed with my pet iPad. It's 7.56am Eastern Standard Time ... It's half an hour earlier back home in the Barossa - surely I can't be expected to get up yet! ... But we have a plane to catch later. Feeling weak or not, I'd best stir (at least a bit).






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