Gratuitous Toe-In-The-Tiber Posting

So we kicked off RCIA last evening. At present there are ten of us in the course, although I understand that it often happens more people show up as the year moves on. I won't go into detail about the other people in the class, except that none of them is a traditionalist Palie like self - most, to the extent they've participated in organized religion, seem to come out of one kind of Evangelical background or another. And while I'm not the oldest person there, the majority are in their 20's and 30's and still sorting out their lives. It should make for an interesting jumble of perspectives.

The first session was largely administrative in nature. In addition to our brand new Ignatius RSV Bibles and Catechisms (first assignment: memorize the first 500 pages by next Wednesday or go to hell), we also got our official beanies in the house colours, as well as our "trainee" pins.

I jest. I jest!

As a matter of fact, from the scraping of substantive matters we did start getting into, it became very obvious to me that the one thing I must take care of this week is handing in my portfolio at my current church. I had been wondering about this, whether, for example, I should wait until I was almost at the far shore of the Tiber. (My term runs out next March anyway.) However, after thinking it over, it became quite clear that I couldn't even start looking at Rome seriously and still maintain the loyalties and duties owed to TEC by vestry members. (When one signs on, one pledges to maintain the canons of the church and promote its program. I'd give a hundred bucks to any average vestry member who could even tell you what this means as a practical matter, but the point remains.) Anyhoo, I emailed the rector the other day to give him the heads up and he seems reasonably understanding. Of course, I'll still spend a fair bit of time hanging around there in support of the Missus and the Llama-ettes (indeed, the seven year old starts junior choir this Sunday), so this is hardly the sort of storming-down-the-aisle Dramatic Gesture that would cause embarrassment.

Oh, and you will be pleased that when I got home last evening, I successfully resisted the temptation to bug my eyes at the Missus, waive my fingers in the air, and say, "Opus Dei! Booogie-booogie-booogie-booooo!!!"

UPDATE: Yes, beanies: