Changing Jobs

 Dear Friends

Before attending seminary at age 27 and being ordained as a priest at 30, I had many jobs---everything from being a stock clerk to a phlebotomist. The three jobs represented in the picture are a sales clerk at Disneyland (paid a whopping $1.80 an hour) a reporter for the Anaheim Bulletin covering high school football games (this was my press pass) and a pasteurizer at Foremost Dairy (where, after one day, I called the bishop to explore the ministry!)

After 35 years of full-time ministry plus three years of retirement ministries, I am now learning to understand “work” in new ways. While I hope and expect there will still be some ways to exercise my ministry as a priest, for now, especially during this pandemic, I am also discovering and enjoying new jobs---filling the bird bath and bird feeders, printing out the daily Sudoku puzzle for Kathleen and Crossword puzzle for me from our digital newspapers and feeling that sense of accomplishment when finishing them. Of course, my biggest current job is going through boxes and boxes of memories, letting go of some of them, while finding treasures, including those in the picture above.

One other thing has happened now that I am for the first time really feeling “retired”. I see with new eyes, other people working---the pharmacist who gave us our flu shots, the gardener who mows our lawn, the plumber/neighbor who came down the street to take care of an emergency a week ago Saturday. While I admit carrying a little envy toward those who are still doing what they love, I mostly feel deep gratitude and appreciation for those who are still working, especially in these uncertain times.

I am open to new doors opening. But for now, it sure is nice to just sit and watch the birds eat and bathe without any other responsibilities at that moment.

John

P.S. My two jobs for today are to find a new tax preparer and determine the value of the haircuts Kathleen has been giving me for the last six months!

 

And a time to wear masks

 

“My name is The Former Rector and I approve this message”

 Dear Friends

As the former rector of St. John’s, Corona, I am so proud of our current signboard message! Wearing a mask is a public health issue---(have you read today’s latest news?) Wearing a mask is a sign of patriotism as this country battles the virus. Wearing a mask is also, for many of us, a response to the Great Commandment about loving our neighbor as ourselves. How people who would otherwise agree with Jesus’ words and still support a man who continues to mock others who wear masks, including his opponent, is a mystery to me.

Last evening, I was sitting on a bench at Santana Park. When the traffic is light and the breeze is right, you can hear the bells from St. Johns across the street. So after six chimes to mark the hour, next came the hymn which includes one of my favorite refrains: “Grant us wisdom, grant us courage, for the facing of this hour” followed by “Grant us wisdom, grant us courage, for the living of these days”.

We could add other words, along with wisdom and courage, for these trying and tumultuous hours and days turned into weeks and months. Some that come to mind are patience and perseverance, healing and hope.

In the end, with mixed and changing messages fueled by a lack of serious leadership at the top, we must listen, above all others, to the voice which says, “Love your neighbor as yourself”. And while praying and working to do our part to help make things right, we can take comfort in knowing that it is not our battle to win alone. Jesus said, “In this world you will face trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

My name is John Saville and I approve that message too.

John

Bachelor Blog

 

Dear Friends

In the midst of misery, how about a little levity? I am in my third week of bachelorhood. It’s a shame I can’t just go out and party like I never used to, thanks to the pandemic. Here are some brief thoughts and observations.

Laundry: I am saving time (and the planet) by washing full loads of clothes of all colors, together! I am extending the time between changing/washing the sheets, by sleeping on one side of the double bed, and the next night, sleeping on the other side! I don’t have a podcast, but I have learned how to cast a pod into the washer. (What happened to the powder? Oh, the tides of change!) I am writing this on my I-Pod.

Cleaning: To me, it’s all about timing. Why clean too early when you will have to clean again the day before your wife comes home? Have you heard of something called the Swifter? I was using it and it broke! It was not that I was using it so often but because it had already been repaired once with duct tape and not by me. I think my wife deserves a brand new Swifter as a homecoming gift! (I know it would not be a good gift for Christmas, birthday or anniversary).

Food and Dishes: First, you have a sister you call Bek (short for her middle name, Rebecca). Who needs “Hub Grub” when you have “Bek Brings”! Bek brings everything from Salisbury steak to scones! And dear daughter Emily brings deviled eggs J). Alas, on Sunday morning, the dishwasher failed to drain. Thanks to tech support (sounded like my wife) I used a measuring cup and bowl to scoop out the 2 inches of water---I was going to use towels---and then tried to follow a Youtube video the tech support sent to try and repair it myself! When I learned I would not be paid double on the weekend, I decided to wait until tech support can actually show up in person on a weekday. Now the question is this: “How many times can you just keep rinsing off one plate, bowl, knife, fork, spoon and glass, before actually washing those items in the sink?

With just 8 days to go, I think I will make it, although I think it will be nice to be married again. Excuse me while I go and turnover the baked and smoked potato. Yes, it is that hot and smoky outside.

John

Labor Day 2020

 

Dear Friends

“Neither snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor gloom of night…” 

While most of us would welcome a little snow and rain right now, I am especially grateful on this Labor Day 2020, for those front line workers who, in the midst of the heat and gloom of fires and a pandemic, continue to make sure I can find salad fixings at the grocery store or turn on my air conditioning or are ready and waiting should I need them in an emergency. 

I am especially grateful this year for so many other essential workers who are laboring on in spite of the conditions, from fellow clergy keeping the supply chain of Good News flowing, to teachers to garbage collectors and everyone else who I may take for granted but depend on every day.

Labor Day reminds me of a prayer from Compline, which includes this phrase: “Watch over those, both night and day, who work while others sleep, and grant that we may never forget that our common life depends upon each other’s toil…”

And Labor Day reminds me of these words by Henry Van Dyke, from Hymn 586:

Jesus thou divine Companion, by thy lowly human birth

Thou hast come to join the workers, burden bearers of the earth.

Thou, the carpenter of Nazareth, toiling for thy daily food,

By thy patience and thy courage, thou hast taught us toil is good.

 

Every task, however simple, set the soul that does it free;

Every deed of human kindness done in love is done to thee.

Jesus thou divine Companion, help us all to work our best;

Bless us in our daily labor, lead us to our Sabbath rest.

 

John

 

Blessed while flying

 

Dear Friends

Having chosen to stay in the “abundance of caution” lane during this pandemic, the last thing Kathleen and I could imagine doing was to fly to Florida! But for love of her 95-year old mother who lost her third child last week, and for love of my wife who lost her third sister last week, we did just that. I am home now, and Kathleen expects to be home in a couple of weeks.

Three things happened on the second leg of my flight home (from Phoenix to Ontario) that are worth sharing. First, we sea of strangers waiting to board our flight became family for a moment, as we were invited to welcome/applaud for a Southwestern pilot named Bob when he came down the ramp and through the door, having completed the final flight of his 30 year career. Second, having secured a window seat in the back row, hoping/praying no one would take the aisle seat (middle seats are “closed”) I got into a conversation with the stewardess as we wondered about the reasons people were flying right now. After hearing my reason, she gifted me with an act of kindness by putting the snack box in that aisle seat so no one could sit there. Third, as we were taking off, I noticed the mother of two young adult daughters who were sitting in the row in front of her, reach over to place her hands on their heads, as if to bless them and keep them safe as we headed back to the skies. I could only think of my mother-in-law doing that for her three lost and three surviving daughters, including Kathleen.

Today I am officially retired again with no part time jobs on the horizon. After three years of wonderful retirement opportunities I couldn’t have imagined, my heart is overflowing with gratitude for these unforgettable experiences. While flying to and from Florida was the last thing I wanted to be doing right now, God surprised me with three more blessings in a matter of just 30 minutes.

May we all expect surprise blessings going forward, even during these difficult and challenging days. 

John

P.S. A fourth blessing was incredible views of cloud formations. The picture above was taken during the Orlando to Phoenix leg. That's the wing, not the tail of the plane!