Speaker: Martha Ognibene
Martha Ognibene: I'm sure you've noticed by now that the theme of this celebration of Bishop Sandra Steiner Ball's ministry is water. Bishop Sandra loves the water, the ocean, the lake, the gentle lapping of a lazy river. She's constantly reminding us of the grace that is given to each of us through the waters of our baptism. And she has led us through some deep waters these past 12 years. She's also gotten us into a little hot water now and then, but almost always gotten us back out in honor of this auspicious theme. I have a joke. So there was a man who owned a farm and at the far edge of his farm was a little apple orchard and a pond. One day he thought I'm going to go down there and check on my trees. So he picked up a five gallon bucket, you know, like a flood bucket and he headed on down to his orchard as he got close, he heard splashing and giggling and laughing. And when he came through the orchard, he saw four young ladies who were skinny dipping in his pond. Well, the ladies were beside themselves. We don't care how long you stand there, old man. We are not getting out of this pond. They said the old man smiled and said, ladies, I have no desire whatsoever to interrupt your skinny dippin. Open up his bucket. He said, I'm just here to feed the alligators. Niagara Falls.
