Notes from the APA

I show up first thing in the morning for a talk given by a famous metaphysician/fellow Episcopalian whom I know somewhat well. He spots me in the audience -- I'm wearing clericals -- and opens his eyes wide and makes a gesture in front of his neck that means "What's up with the collar?" He hasn't seen me since I was ordained.

*****

After the talk a young woman comes up to me. "Are you by any chance an Episcopal priest?" she asks. I say that I am, and she replies, "So am I." I suppress the thought but you can't possibly be old enough to be a priest, and we have a nice chat.

Have I really reached the age at which someone old enough to have an M.Div. and a Ph.D. in philosophy looks like a kid?

As a dear friend said me to recently, "Next thing you know, you'll be saying, 'hey you kids, get off my lawn!'"

*****

Seven hours of philosophy papers in one day is my limit.

*****

At dinner one philosopher tells me about attending the local Episcopal church for Christmas midnight mass. He's not a believer, but his mother is, and he went for her sake. "It was ghastly," he said. "The sermon was absolutely horrendous. It could have been about anyone. It had nothing to do with Jesus or the Incarnation or anything remotely appropriate. And it totally clashed with the Gospel reading."

That parish, I happen to know, is looking for a rector.