A Special Day

The parson and his faithful canine companion, Charlie Brown, began the day with a walk and a visit to the Quik Trip, America's top notch convenience store. Following a fill-up of go juice for the hybrid and some fat free French Vanilla Cappuccino for the parson, they headed to the church.

Arriving at the parking lot the parson opened the back passenger door whereupon Charlie Brown bounded out. He immediately began his daily patrol of the property to be sure no wandering canine had tried to mark it as his own. The parson headed to his study.

Pulling the notebook from the carry case, he fired it up, connected to the internet, looked up and read the scriptures for the coming Sunday another time, switched to a sermon site and read several preacher's take on the texts. Next he surged over to Text Week [dot] Com and read several articles on each text.

A bark from Charlie Brown broke his concentration. The parson looked through the glass of his study door to see his companion standing there with a proud look on his face and wet fur. Charlie Brown obviously had decided to welcome spring by taking a dip in the pond behind the church. The parson opened a drawer on a cabinet and removed a beach towel. He opened the door and let the dog in. Charlie Brown stopped just inside the door knowing the drying was coming.

The parson checked the time. He headed to the kitchen, pulled the fixings from the frig and proceeded to construct a sandwich. Placing the creation on a paper plate with a Kosher dill beside it, he picked up the place and the Sprite he'd removed from the frig and headed back to the study. Charlie Brown was curled on his blanket in the corner snoring. The parson enjoyed the sandwich as he listened to “Fresh Air” on WUTC, Chattanooga's NPR station.

Meal completed, the parson took his refuse to the recycling bin in the fellowship hall. He then returned to the study and reviewed his notes on the scriptures. Finally he went back on the internet to study what the focus of the Sunday school classes would be on Sunday. (At the parson's church everything from the Nursery to the sermon centers on the same scripture each Sunday.)

He opened his Open Office document page and began to construct the general outline of his sermon. An hour or so into the process Charlie Brown stood, arched his back, stretched and then walked to the door where he placed his nose against the door frame. It had taken Charlie Brown months to train the parson that this meant: open the door. The parson did so. Charlie Brown walked ten feet into the parking lot and promptly plopped down again in the sun.

Two hours later the parson opened the door again. This time he carried his computer case. This was a signal to Charlie Brown, now sitting in the grass near the parson's car, that the parson was leaving. He promptly headed to the car and sat beside the door which the parson momentarily opened for him.

A quarter of a mile up the road, the parson said to Charlie Brown, “What a weird day, Charlie Brown. No one came by; no one called; there was no interruption. Let's get home and check to see if we're awake.”