Ecclesiastical Acts

This is the season of parochial reports.  Every parish needs to file a parochial report.  There are numbers which must to tallied, people counted. 

For those of us ordained folk without a parish, we need to name and number Ecclesiastical Acts.  Have we been out and about?  What have we been doing?  This is a good thing, I think.  But it seems that it might be a good exercise for all of us ordained folk, inside and outside parish ministry.  A good thing to report where we are, what was important last year, what are we looking forward to this year.  Maybe something along the lines of a Christmas letter so many used to write.

It is February again,

The time for all non-churched clergy

To report their activities

Of the past year.

We are invited

To fill out a form.

It asks for the naming of

Ecclesiastical Acts,

Where we did them.

Still

They will not be part

Of any databank

Of ecclesiastical acts.

There is no definition even

Of the term.

We are supposed to know

What counts.

I have never known

What counts,

Even in my parish church days

I did not know what counted

Really.

I continue not to know.

I choose the letter format.

I can write what needs to be said.

The Bishop may read it.

What did I do last year?

What are my hopes and aspirations?

In the larger scheme of things:

What counts?

In the larger scheme of things

What deserves

To be highlighted?

What deserves

To be mentioned?