The difference between winning bronze and losing gold

I've been watching the winter Olympics - I'm a sucker for them - and one of the things that I have noticed is the difference between athletes.

There are those for whom just competing truly was all that they were hoping for and when they place third and actually get to stand on the podium and receive a medal it is clear that this was far beyond their wildest dreams and something that they will cherish their whole lives.

Then there are those who clearly expected to win and placing second or third wasn't winning a silver or a bronze medal - it is losing the gold. It is not having the thing that they expected happen for them. They are the ones standing on the podium with a scowl on their faces, glaring at the winner - or gamly trying (and failing) to cover their disappointment.

I wonder what are the things in our lives where just competing is joy enough and placing third is the icing on the cake. And what are the things where we expect to do so well that being the third best in the world is a failure? And how can we move from the second category to the first?

This is most certainly true

I went with a group from Calvary to see the play "Church Basement Ladies" at the Riviera in North Townawanda. If you ever get a chance to see the play - go it is very funny and for any of you who have spent any time at all in a church kitchen - in a basement or not - you will be sure recognize several of the characters.

One of the continuing tropes in the play is that the women quote the line from Luther's small chatechism - "This is most certainly true" - and apply it to many, many facets of church life.

That got me thinking about the Episcopal lines that we could use in a play that everyone would get.

The first that came to my mind was that if you ever need to get an Episcopal crowd quiet say "the Lord be with you" everyone will respond either "and also with you" or "and with thy spirit" and fall silent.

The other one that occurred to me was the phrase "read, mark, learn and inwardly digest" this comes from one of the collects - but gets used regarding just about anything that we want people to take deeply on board.

What are some of the other "Episco-speak" that you think of?