Processing Church This Morning

I'm still processing a social encounter from church this morning.  I walked in and shook someone's hand, asking him how he was doing.  Later, we had the passing of the peace, and I asked this same gentleman how he was doing.  He replied, "The same as I was when you asked me two minutes ago!"  I responded, "My social repertoire..."  I was about to say that it was limited.  Before I could get all that out, he retorted, "I know," then proceeded to shake other people's hands.

I probably should vary my social repertoire a bit.  I could ask a person how he's doing when I first see him, then later say that it's good to see him, or something like that.  I doubt that I've utterly alienated this gentleman from me, since he's a nice person, and I've had my share of social flub-ups with him in the past.  He's thought that he's made social flub-ups with me, come to think of it.

The pastor emeritus was conducting the service this morning, since the pastor and his wife are away on vacation.  The pastor emeritus will be conducting the service next week, as well.  I was paying particular attention to the service this morning because, next week, I'll be doing the liturgy, and I wanted to see how the liturgy is done this week so that I'd know how I should do the liturgy next week.  The pastor emeritus usually organizes the service differently from the pastor.  I took notes on what the liturgist did today (i.e., what parts of the program he read), and, after the service, I told the pastor emeritus that I'll just do what the liturgist did today.  I asked him if that was all right, and he responded, "Oh, I don't know."  I guess I'll just go with my plan, then!