Some examples of the Super Bowl enthusiasm

The manager of our local, independent bank, Seattle Bank, stopped by a few minutes ago (Wednesday before the Super Bowl) and handed us a flier announcing the bank’s Tailgate Celebration for the Super Bowl, Friday from 11:00 to 3:00. They will be offering all who attend festive food (and who knows what else!) and enthusiasm.

The prestigious Seattle Art Museum has a friendly bet with the Denver Art Museum. The Denver museum is putting up a Frederic Remington bronze of a cowboy on a bucking bronco. The Seattle Art Museum is offering a 1901 Japanese painted screen showing an eagle on a seashore.

The museum in the city losing Sunday’s Seahawks-Broncos football game will send art to the winning city for a three-month exhibit.

These are just two small examples of the fun and excitement that is building towards the football game on Sunday.

A post today from a customer

Perhaps you will enjoy this brief look at part of the life of one of our customers who wrote to me today.

Thank you, John. As you know, we do not have much cold here in Savannah. Freezing rain starts later today and then snow. God has blessed us with an AWD Volvo if we have to get out. There will be many car wrecks.  I have a Bible study at church at 10:00 AM to lead and normally a Nursing Home service on Wednesday, but they are renovating the nursing home so our little worship team is out for the next three weeks. I hope, one day, to come back and see you guys. First I retired from the Army. Then I retired from being a hospice chaplain. Then we became a full time care giver for my mother and now she is with our Lord. We went on our first post retirement vacation this Christmas to Williamsburg, VA and Mt. Vernon and took in all the colonial sights. It was great. I love your book store. God bless you in your ministry.

A French church member and customer

Here's a reply from a customer in France. Perhaps it will interest you.


Thanks for your note. It's nice to know your firm exists. I go to a little episcopalian/anglican/lutherian/catholic/you name it church for ex-pats and others of any nationality but services in english...I look forward to my packet. I will need the amount in euros for my personal accounts. Thanks.

Fr. Joe

Fr. Joe’s wife phoned us this morning to inform us about him.

Fr. Joe is a longtime priest and longtime friend of this ministry-which-is-the-store. He has developed dementia that is severe enough to require specialized care in a care facility which is located a long distance from their home.

Joe’s wife describes that Fr. Joe, ever the priest, still loves to bless anyone whom he meets. It is not uncommon at dinner for him to address the "congregation," as he sees it, at the communal meal and lead them in prayers and homilies even though the others may not be aware of their surroundings at all or of Fr. Joe.

Our hearts and prayers go out to Fr. Joe, and to his wife, and to the community that is now helping him with his daily needs.

A message from a clergyman

Received this message this morning as a reply to my note to him about his order for a calendar.

John,

Thanks. I was hoping I would not need a 2014 calendar as I finally retired after retiring -- did a five-year interim after retiring. But the Bishop has asked me to do a four-month supply and then I am on track to do a three-month sabbatical after that. Thus, a liturgical calendar is a "must--have".

Bill

Comments from a customer:

Comments from a customer:

I'm continuously amazed at the customer service y'all provide. I just ordered a couple of calendars this time, but I was treated as if it were a million dollar order. This is the rule, and not the exception. So many businesses could take a lesson from y'all. It's like y'all attended the Ritz Carlton classes in customer service.

I appreciate the wonderful treatment I receive every time I place an order.

I bet Episcopal Book Store is a wonderful place to work.

John's response:

Thanks for your compliments.

Nancy and I decided many years ago to simply offer the kind of service that we would like to receive from a store. As it turns out, for us and this ministry-which-is-the-store, it is not all that difficult to do and it certainly does make each day much more enjoyable. We go home feeling good.

Isn't this the way that we Christians are supposed to be treating each person we meet?