Punt a gorda

I am off to Punt a Gorda on Sunday December 5th 2010.  

Whoops: -  “Punt a Gorda” sounds like a sport on a river in Oxford or Cambridge, U.K.

In truth I will be driving sixty or so miles south of my home, to the City of Punta Gorda in Charlotte County, FL.  There I will be at the (Episcopal) Church of the Good Shepherd.

http://goodshepherdpg.com/index2.html

It will be my pleasure to preach, and to lead the congregations in celebrations of Holy Communion at 8:00 and 10:00 a.m.

Four and a half years into retirement I find it more difficult than ever to prepare sermons.  I suspect that when I was a Rector I “knew the people”, and could bring that understanding to my sermon prep.  It’s much harder when I have to write a sermon which will be addressed to strangers.

But “I have written what I have written”.  I trust that what I say will be faithful to the Gospel, and will “speak” to God’s people at Good Shepherd.

Here’s a bit about Punta Gorda itself.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Punta_Gorda,_Florida

After the services I will have lunch with Lisa and Chris Kelly who live in Ft. Myers, (about 15 miles south of Punta Gorda).  I officiated at their wedding some 15 years ago, in Pittsfield, MA.  They are a delightful couple and it will be a joy to see them after all these years.

I’ll be leaving my home on Sunday at about 6:30 a.m., and will not get back again until mid-afternoon.  So Penne is with her dog sitters Ron and Lee for the night.  When I left her there, at about 5:00 p.m. today, she tried to leave with me.  I had that “leaving my child in school for the first day” feeling!

But I know that Penne will be just fine overnight.  She has previously stayed with Ron and Lee and once I am out of sight and smell she settles down beautifully.



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