Higher Things - Set-up and Arrival

So first, apologies that I did not keep up with posting this week! I really was just too busy. Every day was full, and what little downtime I had was spent trying to get sermons written for Sunday and Monday's funeral. But I'll try to catch up and tell you about the week . . .

Monday morning: unload the truck and set-up. 

Higher Things has a box truck and it is FULL of stuff! Pretty much everything we need, we bring with us. So there's a lot to unload and sort and get to where it needs to go. The nice things about this conference is that almost everything (chapel, plenaries, breakaway sessions, merch, and HQ) was in the same building, so the truck didn't have to drive from place to place - which is the way it often is.

After unloading, the rest of the day was spent unpacking, sorting, finding what we needed, figuring out how to set-up a chapel space, thinking through logistics, and getting things ready for the Opening Service on Tuesday. All this was because we didn't actually have a chapel to use - we had to use the auditorium and turn it into a worshipful space. 

Oh, and we also had to move me down from the Staff dorm to the dorm where my group would be staying. It was a full day!

I was assigned a CCV (Conference College Volunteer) who worked with me in the chapel all week. Her name was Magdalena and - bonus! - I knew her father at the Seminary and she is friends with my daughter! She was a BIG help, since I didn't have any summer vicars or deaconess interns this year. She, the organist, and I pretty much ran the chapel for the week. (Sadly, I did not take any pictures of the chapel set-up to show you!)

After dinner was an Evening Prayer service for all the Staff to bless the room and the chapel space and just to end the day right. I also ordered a bunch of pizzas for our group so it would be here for them when they arrived - which was around 9 o'clock or so, I think. I got back to the dorm around 10:30ish I think, and helped them settle in. Then I had to move into my room and turn in. 

Oh, and did I mention it was HOT! And the dorms were HOT! No AC. Fans blew hot air around, which helped a little . . . but pretty brutal heat the first few days. but more on that tomorrow . . .

Matthew Machemer

Associate Kantor at our Fort Wayne Seminary

and our Organist for the week