Tupelo All Saints will be losing their rector, the Very Rev. Shannon Johnston, who was just elected as the Bishop Coadjutor of Virginia. The news release plus other biographical and theological information can be found here http://www.virginiabishop.info/ . The announcement is also in the Tupelo Daily Journal.

His wife Ellen was our choirmaster at St. Peters when Mike and I moved our membership from St. Andrews. When Ellen and Shannon married, our choir, combined with the All Saint's choir, sang at their wedding in Tupelo. It was a delightful occasion. He preached at our church last summer when he was being considered as Bishop for Arkansas. Everybody told me he's a good preacher and that I missed a great sermon. I hope Ellen's talents continue to be used; she's an excellent musician.

Virginia has a rich Episcopal legacy. Some of my father's paternal ancestry is rooted there. They celebrate their 400th Anniversary in Virginia this year. I recently read this amusing story regarding them:

At one annual parish meeting, however, things did get out of hand and there was unexpected shouting at one another. A little old lady, God bless her, rose to her feet and banged on the pew with her cane until the place fell silent. Then she said in a very clear voice, "If we cannot behave like Christians let us at least remember we are Virginians." The place broke up in laughter. That settled that. Humor, warmth, love and grace, things which seem to be missing in the current controversies. (borrowed from http://episcopalmajority.blogspot.com/ )

Other news from Tupelo: Kenneth Boyd died. He and Richard were close friends in high school. When I came back to Tupelo from Nashville in 1969, he was the first man to ask me for a date. We went out a few times, but about the only thing we had in common was Richard, not a good thing to build a new relationship on. He was a good dancer, though, and a good photographer; too bad I didn't appreciate those traits at the time. The obit said he died after a long illness. If anyone knows the details, I wish you would share them with me. I wonder if his friend Jim Staggs is still living.

Old Man Winter is bearing down hard in most places where my loved ones live, even Tampa. I hope everybody is staying warm and cozy.