Yesterday, I was distracted during the proclamation of the gospel. At risk of being sacrilegious, I confess that instead of listening to the words that were read, I contemplated textiles and seamstresses.

Allow me to explain.

The way things are arranged at my church is likely the same as at many Episcopal churches. We generally have two priests at a service. One of them preaches, and the other is the celebrant, meaning that their main job is to celebrate communion. Other participants include the organist/choir director, the choir, the acolytes, and the lay reader. It’s a nice division of labor.