Chip's ordination

Went to a friend's ordination as a minister Saturday night. My idea of a big night on the town. It was cool. A little wordy at times, but church is like that sometimes, especially in the verbocentric Bostonian tradition of Emerson, Channing, Parker, Garcia and Hunter.

Chip himself didn't say that much, all the verbiage came from his mentors in the Unitarian Universalist ministry, who, of course, had lots of nice things to say about him and his "calling". The G-word came into play a little more than I would have preferred, but hey, they didn't consult me.

The choir did a nice job on a song called "The Wheel" that Chip requested. I'd never heard a 50-voice choir do a Grateful Dead song before (sorry, no extended guitar solos, no dancing vagabonds in the aisles, no cloud of smoke in the rafters), but the arrangement really worked, and it sounded great in that big space. Apparently they're still talking about Chip's Dead-inspired sermon in the little Illinois town where he did his internship.

The wheel is turning and you can't slow down,
You can't let go and you can't hold on,
You can't go back and you can't stand still,
If the thunder don't get you then the lightning will.

Won't you try just a little bit harder,
Couldn't you try just a little bit more?
Won't you try just a little bit harder,
Couldn't you try just a little bit more?

Round, round robin run round, got to get back to where you belong,
Little bit harder, just a little bit more,
A little bit further than you gone before.

The wheel is turning and you can't slow down,
You can't let go and you can't hold on,
You can't go back and you can't stand still,
If the thunder don't get you then the lightning will.

Small wheel turn by the fire and rod,
Big wheel turn by the grace of God,
Every time that wheel turn 'round,
Bound to cover just a little more ground.

The wheel is turning and you can't slow down,
You can't let go and you can't hold on,
You can't go back and you can't stand still,
If the thunder don't get you then the lightning will.

Won't you try just a little bit harder,
Couldn't you try just a little bit more?
Won't you try just a little bit harder,
Couldn't you try just a little bit more?