Sumer is icumen in

Sorry about the pause. One of my "hobbies" is watching the making of laws (a business far more appalling than the making of sausages, I assure you) and advising the makers of said laws when they are making a bad mistake. Shortly after the previous post I happened to stumble across a very bad mistake in process and analyzing, researching and responding to it completely tied me up until last evening. (The letters should be in the mail today.)

In any event, after a long cold winter-like spring, a heatwave descended on us the end of last week (temperatures in the high 80s F, high 20s C), too-bright sun and all. Suddenly summer has arrived -- we have to start opening the windows in the Nave and be bothered by traffic noise from Avondale Road, some of us get to be awakened by the 4:30 AM dawn chorus ("Lhude sing cuccu..." and other birds!) and as regular as clockwork, the summer schedule of events appears in the Sunday bulletin.

Well, okay, kidding on the last (I think?). But Fr. Daniel has clearly been thinking way ahead. Choir Camp will be held August 12-14. Camp Cookie is slated for August but might not happen because it's support for Kathy in her Kairos Prison Ministry and she will miss the September event -- it coincides with my meeting in Vienna, and she is coming with me, though I learned today we'll likely return separately because I have to go speak at a conference in Dallas immediately after.

But there are other things such as our Patronal Festival this year, August 24th, which will be the 30th anniversary of the founding of St. Bartholomew's! We have a few people who remember those days but not many. And the Annual Parish Retreat on September 27th (maybe I'll be there -- the Dallas conference will be over).

I noticed that the Diocesan Youth Camp (late June) and the Diocesan Camp-Out (7/10-13) weren't listed, but it still looks like a busy summer ahead.

Oh. And the flags? They appeared about the time of Bishop Provence's visit on Pentecost. I rather suspect the Anglican Church Women were involved somehow.

Now if it would only rain and cool things off a bit...

Rogation Sunday

I admit it, this one is two weeks after the fact. But I didn't even offload the pictures from the camera until May 6th, 9 days after.

The Sunday after Synod ended I was able to get to church and to serve with Bishop Provence. It being Rogation Sunday, we had our second annual procession around the property, with Fr. Daniel sprinkling holy water as we went. I noted my car got a splash as we passed -- later Fr. Daniel joking asked if I'd let him know if it was running better.

You know, I think it is.

Tight schedule

Just got back early this morning (1 AM) from another trip. This one looked easy, just a short 105-minute flight to SFO (San Francisco)... but none of the travel turned out to be so easy.

A declining set of circumstances beginning with airplane mechanical trouble set back my arrival in SFO to a time where I was barely going to make my speaking engagement. I made it in time though, to the evident relief of my colleague and speaking partner Graham, who took me to see the memorable The Trees of St. Mary's at Goring-By-Sea last December.

But my recent hope that I might be able to get away to visit St. Stephen's, Oakville Grade, was not to be. The buffet dinner / "trade show" / etc. went way too late.

But during it I talked with both Graham and his wife Julie (whom I met on my visit to St. Mary's), and in the course of the discussion I somehow mentioned our upcoming Anglican Camp (our Diocese of the Western States camp-out), probably because it'll be on the California coast two or three hours' drive north of the conference. They were intrigued, so I am to e-mail them links to the Anglican Camp last year (photos and more photos more photos). .

They related some of their activities, not exactly like ours but involving people from multiple parishes. The common element we all held is that it's a good thing for people from different parishes to meet and get to know each other.

But all too soon it was time to head towards the airport, more difficulties with airplanes, and arriving late o again.

Extinguishing the Paschal Candle

Today is Ascension Day, celebrating Jesus' ascension into the heavens, as noted in today's "portion of Scripture appointed for the Epistle" (as the 1662 rubric says), beginning at Acts i. 1. (which was the subject of study two weeks ago when I visited "O Street"!).

For the Epistle. Acts i. 1.

THE former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom be had chosen: to whom also he shewed him self alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God: and, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father which, saith he, ye have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judæa, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld. he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.

I clearly have never been the Epistler on Ascension Day, because I have never read this out loud before. (To tell the truth, I've rarely been to church on Ascension Day -- it just sort of tended to be lost, and I am really glad that Fr. Daniel has brought the focus back at St. Bartholomew's.) But Fr. Daniel also wanted help for the 10 AM Morning Prayer + Holy Communion service so I volunteered.

Deacon Ed, who read the Gospel, noted that I had a much longer reading, and it was true. But it also felt a little odd to read this letter -- my mind's eye kept flicking over to movie scenes where someone is writing a letter with voiceover reading the content of the letter. I wonder if anyone in the small group present this morning noted it.

But in any event, before the service I asked about lighting the candles. Fr. Daniel said "Light them ALL up!" with Deacon Ed noting that this would be the last time because we would not be using the Paschal candle after today. And in fact, Fr. Daniel directed me to carry the candle to the spot by the organ where it will reside and extinguish it. It felt odd, because it seems like it was almost yesterday I was carrying that candle, lit for the first time, into the church on Easter Even.

Synod end and beyond

Synod is almost over and there is so much I've missed: the silent retreat, the Clericus -- well, I wouldn't have been there anyway, as well as the Clergy & Wives Dinner though I would have been at the Laity Dinner, the services, the workshops, and so on. All that's left now are, starting in under three hours: the logistical headache of shuttling everyone from the hotel in Redmond to St. Bartholomew's (this was one of the last items to get resolved), the Synodical Mass, and the Saturday Brunch.

But there were other elements too I hadn't anticipated, perhaps because they weren't in my planning, such as the Anglican Church Womens' quilt (every parish contributed a square) and Abby & Jon's presentation on our Anglican Camp last year (photos and more photos), which will be held again this year.

But it now appears that several folks will be staying over so I will get to see them Sunday. I've already mentioned Archbishop Provence but now I can add Monty, a professional who took over my pitiful efforts at getting a regular and effective diocesan newsletter started (hampered by too much travel and other commitments) and did an excellent job, and Abby & Jon whose new baby will be baptized tomorrow! (Update: Miscommunication -- their baby was baptized today. Oh well.)

Serving with the (Arch)bishop

I received a really thoughtful note from Drew yesterday asking if I'd like to serve with Archbishop Provence on Sunday. I hadn't even thought about it until I received the note, but the answer was YES!

Normally this would be Drew's Sunday as Epistler, I think, but he noted he's already served twice during Synod.

Thank you, Drew!

"Harp not on that string"

Since I was not going to be at Synod, arrangements were made for Kathy and others to take photos of Synod so that I could post them on the blog. But of course "No battle plan ever survives contact with the enemy" (attr. Field Marshall Helmuth Carl Bernard von Moltke) and so far this has held true.

Kathy's camera has not been seen since our trip to Cairo, though we think it's in a box or bag with some Cairo memorabilia (she may have found it last night), Nancy's camera uses a type of memory card for which we have no reader and there are no mini-USB cables in the house to connect to the camera (I have them all). But her camera cellphone rides to the rescue -- and she can e-mail them direct to my Gmail account.

Of course, I have to be online to get them and post them here and I'd not figured on being as busy "socializing" as I was. Usually the last night of our meetings I slip out for a quick, quiet dinner alone but my committee had other ideas last night.

I thought maybe I'd get an opportunity during meeting breaks this morning but ended up dealing with committee issues.

I knew I'd be absent this afternoon while touring Gettysburg battlefield, which I quickly learned requires at least a day, maybe two.

And then I'd arranged to have dinner with a friend here in Baltimore, third year in a row, and as usual it went a bit late.

So I just checked my e-mail and there are a bunch of pictures from yesterday and today, awaiting attention. This is one from yesterday morning before the service of Kathy's harp.

The quote? From Shakespeare.

Opening Mass

Synod opened with Mass, as per this photo e-mailed me from Kathy's cellphone.

Final Final Arrangements

Well, maybe I spoke too soon.

It seems Kathy will be playing her harp for the services, but apparently the keyboard will come in very handy for this summer's Choir Camp.

In the meantime Fr. Daniel discovered our 1889 Sears & Roebuck parlour organ (pedal pumped), which did service for St. Bartholomew's on special occasions from time to time before we moved into our building. It's a little heavy and very bulky, and I no longer have a pickup in which to transport it, but with its four banks of reeds (most have but two) it has quite a voice. It has been a fixture in the living room for so long I hadn't even thought about it for the Synod services...

But registration opens tomorrow afternoon, and then Synod is underway.

Final Arrangements

I've forgotten how many months it's been since Fr. Daniel asked to me to make (or delegate) the arrangements for the Diocese of the Western States' annual Synod that St. Bartholomew's is hosting this year, starting on Thursday. It has been a while with a few difficult issues to work through, but things seemed pretty much in place early last week -- until Fr. Daniel asked about music for the banquet, and apparently subsequently about music for the services held at the meeting hotel prior to Saturday.

Oops.

It turns out a piano rental for the services would cost quite a bit, but it seems Kathy came through with a purchase of a keyboard. Funny me, she told me this initially out of context and I was wondering what kind of computer keyboard would cost so much.

So they were to get together this afternoon and go over the music for the services. At this point it would seem everything ought to be in place and for anything overlooked we'll just have to punt.

A visit to O Street

For years now one of my committees has held its week-long spring meeting in Maryland about 20 minutes or so northwest of Washington, D.C. Usually I fly in Sunday evening with just enough time to get dinner, unpack and crash before Monday morning's festivit... er, meetings, get underway. For several reasons this year was different and I arrived at the Baltimore airport hotel (for the first night only) at 1 AM.

I had considered visiting The Parish of Christ the King in D.C., an hour and something's drive from that hotel, since I was going to be in the area in the morning. But I also considered the late arrival and necessary early arisal... and decided I wouldn't. (Some of us know The Parish of Christ the King as "O Street" because it is on the street by that name in D.C.; it is also our provincial cathedral.)

But things worked out otherwise. Didn't get to sleep until after 2:30 AM, but by 7:30 AM I was unavoidably awake. Ran the timing in my head and decided I probably had time to make the 10 AM Holy Eucharist. So I got up, showered, dressed in the best I had (our meetings are not formal affairs so it was black walking shoes, black jeans, best polo and PNW rain shell), packed, checked out and hit the road.

I was afraid that I wasn't going to make it due to the on-again/off-again blinding rain slowing traffic down but in the end I did, with 20 minutes to spare. In fact, I was one of the first to arrive, to see the Nave and Sanctuary like this.

The impressive entrance I encountered took me back to Vienna last December. While walking around the alleys there I passed by one large (church?) wooden door and suddenly heard an organ thundering away inside -- I just had to stop and listen, for how long I don't remember, to that majestic sound. Here, all was quiet until I opened the door and suddenly a similar organ voice boomed out.

The service was a little different from our old familiar 1928 BCP service, but not by a lot. I am guessing they use the Missal.

Afterwards I was invited down to the Parish Hall and joined them for some enjoyable conversation. They were somewhat surprised that I was visiting from another church in the same province; this seems a little different from our experience at St. Bartholomew's where we regularly have visitors from elsewhere.

Fr. Russell invited to stay for their Bible Study after the coffee hour. I weighed my plans for the day, the amount of driving they would require, the quite poor weather (my plans included some scene photography)... and stayed.

I was glad I did. Their Bible Study class is much like ours. They were starting on Acts today, and Fr. Russell explained a number of elements I (and I think others) had not known. And like ours, their class is anything other than "listen to what teacher says and write it down," there was a lot of back and forth through which I got to know some of these people better.

O Street's numbers may be down a bit, a comment or two implied, but I think they have a quite solid core. The visit was quite worth the lack of sleep and the difficult drive.

More snow

Kathy reports that it snowed at "serious" levels during this morning's service. In one case a parishioner felt the need to get home early before the road up the hill to home could become impassable.

Snow, Blossoms for Synod?

During lunch with Fr. Daniel on Wednesday (Tuesday?), I noted that I'd heard on the radio that snow was forecast for this weekend. Fr. Daniel was surprised (it IS rather late for snow) and hoped it wouldn't because everything was beginning to blossom so the grounds would look good when the priests and delegates to Synod arrive next week.

But I checked the online forecasts and yes, they said snow.

Yesterday afternoon it started here at home with what we call "popcorn snow" -- little round balls that are almost hail, but more like the consistency of snow. Not a lot, and it was too warm for it to stick, until evening when it turned to real snow. (Kathy was at the Ladies' Arts & Crafts Social yesterday afternoon where they were assembling the Synod gift bags, and sent me a couple of pictures from her cellphone showing snow on the ground.)

Last night on the weather radar I saw a storm center stall somewhere between Vancouver BC and Bellingham WA, with precipitation rotating counterclockwise around it. By this morning the storm center has only shifted 50 miles south, and there is a bit of snow on the ground. Although I see a big slug of snow about advancing on to Tacoma, probably arriving at Sea-Tac airport about the same time I intend to for my flight out this morning.

It doesn't look good for St. Bartholomew's blossoms for Synod.

Synod Planning

Directing the arrangements for hosting this year's Synod (diocesan convention) has proved to be both easier and more difficult than I expected. The "delegation" model has worked really well -- give folks a task and they run with it, unlike the "consensus committee" model to which I'm most accustomed; the latter has been little but trouble for all it has cast lights on particular problems.

But it looks like everything is in place: tomorrow the gift bags will be made, we have identified volunteers where needed, the ACW is finalizing the Saturday brunch arrangements, we've worked out the various dinner locations and costs, and Bob has done a great job arranging the transport between the hotel and church.

It saddens me still that I will miss it all, but life is that way sometimes. I missed the last two Synods because of business travel. One more? It fits the pattern; I've missed a number of company Christmas / Solstice / WinterFest / Holiday / Whatever-you want-to-call-it company celebrations thanks to travel.

Parish Picture Postcard Problems

Several (3?) days ago Nancy reported problems getting the parish picture postcards printed. I'm not sure what's going on but apparently the preferred proportions are not being accepted online. We keep phoning and missing each other.

Goodbye to the jail

Because the McGraths were away on a needed vacation, after the busy Easter season and before next week's Synod which St. Bartholomew's is hosting this year, Drew and I led Morning Prayer (sung) again. The order for the service was a bit different from last week's, because the Church School put on one of their landmark plays.

I don't remember just when these started, I know we've now had a complete turnover of actors, but I have pictures of one from around Christmas 2001. In that one the children enacted television-newscaster style reporting of the birth of Jesus, in costume. (Mary Ellen found the sign for the TV station this morning: call letters FISH.) Another some time around 2004 included Paul's escape from Damascus (Acts 9:25); the pulley that raised the wall behind him to simulate his being let down in a basket is still in the beam above the Nave.

We've had fewer of these since Fr. Daniel's arrival, but the Church School performed one today.

Today's continued the story of Paul including his imprisonment (the chains are being put on here) and the violent earthquake opening the door, which was simulated by violent shaking the cardboard refrigerator box painted to represent a prison or jail.

At the conclusion of the play, Paul Jr. announced that the "jail" had been taking up space in the Sunday School for three and a half years and it was time for it to go. With it go memories of previous plays as it had acquired different openings for different purposes, including one for a television screen (another play on the newscaster theme, I think this one was on the Resurrection).

So after the service it was left in front of the Fr. Leen Learning Center, where some of the younger children played in it until the adults arrived. Then the jail was carted off.

Picture Postcards

Some weeks ago Nancy got the idea of producing some postcards showing our parish, as a small fundraiser. She says she really likes my photos, some of which can be seen in our Image Gallery -- just about all the rest on the website are mine also.

I've been taking digital photos for a decade now, ever since I was given my first digital camera (I now use #3 and #4), so there are quite a lot of photos to draw on. Nancy initially chose a couple for the cards, one of the front doors with rhodies in bloom and another of the Nave, though we took some additional Nave photos after the Easter service, this time using a ladder for additional angles. (Nancy has a good sense for composition.) As is typical, the photos were flawed in one fashion or another so it took some effort to make them presentable (typical operations: rotate, crop, adjust brightness and color).

Then a couple of weeks ago she looked at the banner on the website and thought of putting something like that on a "panoramic" postcard (8 inches by 4 inches). Fine -- but I have been planning to update that banner as it shows folks whom we've not seen in a while, and there are a few other things that have changed. (One photo goes back to 2003, taken with #1.)

It took a bit more time than I anticipated to go through this collection and find a set of (ultimately) nine photos that illustrate various aspects of St. Bartholomew's and stitch them together. Difficult choices, some difficult editing especially with low-light photos. But at least the "rotate" processing will become less frequent because I just discovered my inexpensive tripod isn't quite as cheap as I thought -- it just had a element not fully tightened which caused it to be 1-1/2 degrees off vertical.

I don't know what Blogger will do with this reduced image, but here's the card:

Flu and The Order for Matins

The phone call came yesterday afternoon, "Could you lead Morning Prayer tomorrow?" Uh, oh.

Fr. Daniel called to say he was down with the flu; he needed a Lay Reader to lead Morning Prayer.

We discussed the service and decided it would be a Sung Matins, in which the Venite, exultemus Domino,the Benedictus es, Domine and the Jubilate Deo are sung. (And somehow I have to remember to pronounce the last correctly!) I liked the decision, remembering back to St. Bartholomew's first introduction (I believe) to same in August 2005, led by several of us who remembered that tradition. The parish took to it immediately.

For today Fr. Daniel had chosen Hymns 609, 624 and 644 for these Canticles. The hymnboard was a bit full with these in addition to the Processional, Sermon, Offertory and Recessional hymns. Having these three on the same row was a nice effect, forming a cross on the hymnboard.

About the same time Fr. Daniel called me, Ranjit sent out a reminder e-mail about today's scheduled servers (Crucifer, Lucifers and Banner Bearer), and in short order e-mails came back advising that all but one of the servers were going to be unavailable.

It turned out Drew was available to read the lessons and Fr. Daniel's homily, so I decided the two of us would handle the entire service and give the one remaining server a day off, and e-mailed the servers accordingly. That e-mail was not seen apparently, because a message was relayed to me this morning that the remaining server was also going to be unavailable due to the flu. (Maybe we're a little too reliant on e-mail in this parish.)

I had figured today would be a low Sunday, but I was wrong. Attendance was about normal, though almost none of the children were there. It must be the schools' Spring Break.

Deacon Ed surprised and delighted everyone when he showed up, on his first outing after his stint away due to surgery, looking better and brighter than he has in a long time. It didn't make me at all nervous to lead Matins with him seated in the front pew a few feet away. Seriously, it didn't. Really.

The service itself went well. The congregation was in very good voice, Drew read very well, and with him taking on a number of the tasks (we'd forgotten to discuss the Offertory beforehand), and with mental notes I'd made from when Fr. Daniel conducted Matins, the service flowed better. With Drew on the Epistle side and I on the Gospel, both in cassock and surplice, we must have looked a bit like bookends, but for his hair and beard being black while mine is blond to white.

We'll likely get to do it again next week (many in the parish will be delighted) because the McGraths will be on Eastertide break -- and hopefully all done with the flu.

Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Today was the celebration of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (transferred). Fr. Daniel planned a service of Evensong (Evening Prayer) into Holy Communion, with "bells & smells," followed by a light supper. I was a little disappointed in the low turnout -- perhaps I got my hopes up with the rather larger than usual "Low Sunday" turnout the Sunday after Easter. But I learned some folks had conflicts, and likely the rest of our "regulars" did too.

Fr. Daniel e-mailed me earlier to ask if I would help out as Epistler and Thurifer, and I agreed. Even when I'm not fully up to snuff, as today, I'm still blessed when I can serve.

When I arrived, Fr. Daniel and Danny were in the Sacristy. Danny (coming up on 4?) seems to be taking an interest in what goes on and followed intently as the thurible was lit -- Can I say? I am SO glad we finally replaced the way-too-old supply of thurible charcoal that seemingly wouldn't light even if you held a propane (or even oxyacetylene) torch to it! Touch a common match to this new stuff and it just lights.

Fr. Daniel and Danny watched from the pews subsequently as I lit all the candles, more than I'd ever dealt with as boy acolyte. Back in the Sacristy Fr. Daniel reviewed the various occasions we'd be using the thurible, and after ringing a bell (that I don't recall seeing before) we processed from the Sacristy.

In the service the thurible seemed more "active" than I'd ever seen it; at one point the pews were partially obscured by the smoke as I stood there holding it. Good thing our smoke-sensitive parishioners weren't there. The scent will probably linger on for days.

Fr. Daniel's homily gave one a lot to think about, but as this was one of his extemporaneous sermons it won't appear on the church website. Part of the evening's highlights but nothing to relate here, more is the pity.

After service's conclusion with my expert (I hope) performance of the office of "The Extinguishing Of All Those Many Candles In Their Correct Order," another surprise awaited in the Parish Hall.

As Fr. Daniel had noted, it was a simple supper that had been prepared. But he presented (and made? I hope? yet another St. B's closet chef?) some wonderful hot sandwiches for tonight, labeled "The Gabriel (a smoked swiss and ham melt with a touch of Dijon)" and "The Avondale (a turkey and cheddar melt)." Clearly "The Gabriel" was related to the day, and "The Avondale" -- well, we're on Avondale Road.

They were extremely good. And meals with other members of our parish family are always enjoyable.

A good evening, a good end to a day that was for me otherwise, and... Chef Gordon, you just should have been there.

Minuses and Pluses

On the downside, I will also miss the Men's Breakfast Saturday the 19th. About the time they start I need to be on my way to the airport. (When you live on the West coast, trips to the East coast tend to take the entire day; though my first flight isn't until after 11 AM, I anticipate arriving at my hotel about 1 AM on Sunday.)

On the upside, if he sets an alarm and cuts short his sleep, this Wandering Anglican just might make it to the 10 AM service at what we call "O Street," the Provincial Cathedral at 2727 O Street N.W. in Washington, D.C.

Speaking of being a Wandering Anglican, another trip just popped up on my radar yesterday. In early May to Sonoma, California -- close enough that it could be a flight down in the morning, continuing (back) home in the evening. If it's on a Thursday maybe I could visit nearby St. Stephen's in Oakville (Napa).

Miss it all

Just booked my trip to the D.C. area the week of the 21st. Sadly, as a result of dealing with corporate policies and other matters, I'm gone from the 19th through the 26th. Although I was tagged to organize St. Bartholomew's hosting of this year's Synod, I'm going to miss the whole thing.

Oh, well.

But on the bright side, the Archbishop is staying over until Sunday.

The Gates of Paradise

I needn't have worried. Although more snow came down overnight, to where part of the drive to church this morning looked like the photo to the left, we had no problem. (Still, in my 25 years in the Seattle area I've never seen this much snow this time of year.)

I was also able to fulfill my duties as Crucifer, Server and Epistler, the latter being relatively short but to the point, beginning at I St. John v.4, about the central importance of faith. I wonder how many of us (Americans) really have our faith tested these days and are maybe a bit lukewarm as a result.

Then again for all my own trials I'm only a degree or so above lukewarm, except that I now am pretty certain I know the grounding of my own belief.

I was a little concerned when snowflakes began falling again during the service, but they were temporary.

So after the service a group of us made our somewhat scattered way down to Redmond and thence west to Seattle, in particular the Seattle Art Museum, in an outing organized by Bob & Diane (thank you SO much!!!) to see the art exhibit "The Gates of Paradise," as they were dubbed by none other than Michelangelo! Lorenzo Ghiberti created a masterpiece of scenes from the Bible for a "baptistry" in Florence. Three of the ten scenes, restored gilt brass, are on display -- when they return to Florence they will remain there. 27 years went into the making of these works, restoration has already taken 20 years and continues.

If they come to your area, go see them.

Our group (pictured) did. Looking at the works, I considered the faith that could produce such and left... humbled.

Global warming

Well, we may be experiencing global warming but tonight's late-March snowfall (image of rear deck an hour or more ago) makes me wonder if I'll be able to fulfill my designated duties (Acolyte & Lay Reader) tomorrow.

Discovering "something precious and new"

Two hectic days of a local conference are over and now catching up on the world. First item up was an e-mail from Fr. Daniel to the "St. Bart's Evangelists" list noting and linking an article on David Virtue's website VirtueOnline-News. Now I quit reading VirtueOnline-News and all the other Anglican-related blogs and news sites for Lent last year and never got back into that routine, but from what I recall of David Virtue's postings this was a small but welcome surprise.

He writes in part:

[W]e have a gift that we can give these young men and women across the campuses in the United States, and that is the gift of the orthodox Anglican Faith via the 1928 Book of Common Prayer, that has venerable prayers that can be traced to the 3rd century, but are applicable for today, as well as the Holy Bible. We can begin to turn the tide and win these young people in His Holy Name. I cannot tell you how many times many people when they see and read the prayer book as well as the Bible feel that they have discovered something precious and new, like a fine and beautiful stone.

I can appreciate that. I spent some years of my life (age 16 to 31) away from the 1928 Book of Common Prayer. When I re-encountered it at St. Bartholomew's, it was like finding something precious and beautiful, something that had been long lost and almost forgotten.

In the '28 we do have a gift, one that is particularly beautiful, worshipful and (to me extremely) precious, but I will issue a caution, based in part on my experience in January of St. Thomas 5th Ave (New York), a church with a most awe-inspiring liturgy: A beautiful liturgy will attract some folks but our Anglican evangelism cannot rely on that, beginning or especially end. Mostly one will get spectators -- not saved souls.

"Continuing" Home

Folks savvy about the current situation within North American Anglicanism will recognize that the name of this blog has multiple meanings, invoking the concept of a church "continuing" to remain true to its faith and tradition, the idea that this particular parish continues to be this blogger's home parish, and several other concepts as well. (Maybe if I ever write them all down I can call this name an "[N]-entendre."

The first sense of "Continuing" was applied to several church jurisdictions formed by those who left the American Episcopal church (a.k.a. PECUSA or ECUSA, today TEC, "The Episcopal Church"), of which St. Bartholomew's is a member. It's been a quarter-century since I left (P)ECUSA, but it was with delight last summer that I read statements published regarding church unity between our jurisdiction and two of the other large ones.

This blog is fully intended to remain outside the fray within and without the Episcopal church and the Anglican churches in the English-speaking world, but an e-mail from a fellow (sister? thanks, Nancy!) parishioner last weekend alerted me to the fact that the word "Continuing" has been co-opted (see Language Games; those choosing to remain in the Episcopal church despite its major changes are now calling themselves "Continuing Episcopalians."

So just for the record let it be known that in the U.S. "Continuing Anglicans" are something quite different from "Continuing Episcopalians." I firmly believe we Continuing Anglicans continue to hold "The Faith Once For All Delivered To The Saints" -- and with that said, this blog returns to its function of chronicling the day-to-day life of our little parish.

CH

Easter Day

A service not to be missed this morning with Choir, Flute and Harp, not to mention Josephine's signature pyrotechnic postlude -- okay, maybe substitute "professional" for "pyrotechnic" today, but I note that more and more folks don't leave their pews until the postlude is concluded. And for good reason; few churches are blessed with such professional talent.

About the only thing missing was the incense, but then we have some folks for whom incense is a problem.

"The Choir and Ministers" sang Easter Anthems for the processional instead of having a processional hymn, something that seemed to confuse folks for a few seconds, but they caught on quickly enough. And after our spare Lenten services, this was celebration indeed.

The Miller Menagerie prepared the excellent brunch afterward, followed by "panangelicum" (Kathy's word) upstairs with an Easter Egg (and candy) hunt in the Nave, it being a bit on the wet side outside. I wonder how much more candy will turn up next Sunday.

Easter Birthday

Today is the greatest day of the year. Without Easter, Christmas would be nothing more than "Winterfest", Good Friday would be at best a bummer, but today completes it all.

Today is also a special event for your blogger, one I have literally looked forward to for decades: It's my birthday, and to have it land on Easter is for me a once in a lifetime event. Even if it's raining this morning (as it is) -- if you're going to live in the Pacific Northwet, you better learn to love the rain.

But back to Easter, last night my father e-mailed me a copy of his sermon for today, "Hail Thee, Festival Day," with something new to ponder, excerpted as follows. I commend it to you:

I have been studying the Bible intensely for the last 60 years. After many years it finally has become clear to me that one needs to pay attention to the small details in Scripture, if you are not to miss important and enriching aspects of the Bible’s message. Our Gospel lesson for today contains one of those small details that adds much color to John’s story of his own and Peter’s discovery of the empty tomb.

The detail I have in mind this morning is a single Greek word that the King James translates "rolled-up," and that the NIV translates as "folded." It is referring to the napkin which had covered Jesus’ face and that Peter saw placed separate from the rest of the grave clothes. As with so many New Testament Greek words, this word has a range of possible meanings, but more than that, it is associated with customs and meanings that are different from our everyday experience. The word is related to the word for "command," as a king or teacher commanding something of his followers. It can perhaps be translated "ordered."

In ordinary Roman and New Testament banquets, people didn’t have individual plates, but ate with their fingers from common platters and bowls. Large napkins were therefore obviously necessary. The host or head of the family was in charge of the meal, and when he judged that the meal was over (there were no desserts), the host would gently throw his napkin on the table in front of him, perhaps upon some bones or grape stems. This was a sign that the meal was finished, and the servants (usually women) could remove all platters and napkins.

If the host were called away from the table before the meal was completed, the host would carefully fold or roll his napkin, and place it in a clear area to the side of his place (that is, it was said that he "ordered" his napkin.) This was a clear sign that “I am not finished yet.” “I am returning.” A carefully arranged napkin in a place by itself was the non-verbal message that it is not yet over.

When Peter and John saw the napkin “ordered” in a place by itself, they had seen that arrangement so often at meals that the symbolism couldn’t be missed. It said, loud and clear, “I am not finished yet, I am returning.”

John writes that he saw, and believed. He believed instantly, for he got the message instantly. Even before the first resurrection appearance, Christ has already delivered His message of resurrection, and John believed. Now, nearly 2000 years later, we join him in belief. There is a lot of skepticism going around concerning the resurrection. All honest questions have honest answers available. But we join St. John and “Hail Thee Festival Day.”

Hail Thee, Festival Day!

The Lighting of the New Fire(s?)

It's Easter Even, and what a difference between the church this evening and 24 hours earlier (picture 3 postings down). The heady scent of the flowers wafted out the door, then the cheerier scene inside when one entered. It's much the same every year, yet it still strikes one. We were early, there being a light supper beforehand apparently primarily for the Girls' Choir. (I can't call it the Girls' Choir anymore, since Fr. Daniel has recruited a few mens' voices also.)

Matt and I were asked to serve -- to which I happily accepted. Matt failed in Fr. Daniel's request a few hours ago to grow a beard (near white, I added) so we'd be matching bookends, sort of the the way Deacon Ed and I are. (Matt would have had to add some extra pounds too.) We sorted out the duties in the Sacristy just before the service -- I'd be the "objects" guy and Matt the "books" guy. In other words, candles and associated stuff were my responsibility and anything related to books, including reading the Epistle, were Matt's.

We started out in good order with the church darkened and the The Lighting of the New Fire and its procession through the Nave, once again with me (nervously) carrying the lit Paschal Candle. Then Fr. Daniel sang the Exultet and I was faced with the task of lighting All Those Candles (keep the order correct, there are 4 sets of candles!), the number of which I haven't had to deal with since my teen years as an acolyte, much less the number of sets.

From there all went swimmingly (so to speak) until the Baptisms... and the discovery that the Baptismal Font was dry. Oops.

Being a good Irishman, as he noted, Fr. McGrath took the opportunity to say a few words whilst the Font was made ready.

Then we proceeded with the baptisms, babies Gloria Christi and Rudyard Elwyn. I can't profess to know what it must be like to baptize your own child, as Fr. Daniel did for the second time here at St. Bartholomew's. But I was happy to be present and serving for the occasion -- is it appropriate to think "New Fires" with infant baptisms? Maybe, but one can hope... and pray.

Serving... once again, the camera intervened. Note to self: never ever volunteer to be "photographer" -- you'll never be happy with any of the photos however much others like them. At least I was able to take these in "raw" mode so many of the shooting sins can be covered.

Continuing Anglican BlogRing

Some time ago I set up the "Continuing Anglican Blog Ring", a web-ring of blogs by Continuing Anglicans. By clicking on the "Next" button on the "Navigation Bar" on a page (usually located on the right-hand side or at the bottom) one can go to the next page in the ring. There are currently 20 pages in the ring, with a few to be added once they have Navigation Bars installed.

It's been months since I checked up on the ring and sure enough, it was broken -- some sites had removed their Navigation Bars. It's fixed now.

Found an interesting if largely ignored poll here. You still have a few hours left...

Nostalgia for Heaven

One of the little services to St. Bartholomew's I enjoy doing is being webmaster. It has its downsides during periods of travel, because things get a bit more out of date than I like (i.e. it can get more than a week out of date, but then again I see church websites that haven't been touched in years).

Still, even when scrambling to catch up, as I just did this afternoon, there are positives that come to the fore. In this case it was publishing Fr. Daniel's Lenten sermons.

In the process of publishing them (turning them into PDFs among other things) I end up reading them too, and while I think they're always quite good sometimes he hits a note even higher than his usual high standard. I think he did so with his Lent IV: "Nostalgia for Heaven", which I missed hearing because I was... somewhere away. But I got to read it today.

Well done!

The Office of Tenebrae

One of the interesting things about having a blog that spans back a few years is that one can check back to answer the question, "What DID we do [when]?" This evening Fr. Daniel led us in the Office of Tenebrae ("Shadows"). An appropriately somber service, opening with an "Address" by Fr. McGrath, followed by Hymn 75, then sets of Psalm readings, Lessons and more, with the church lights being dimmed in stages through the service, concluding in the somewhat gloom with no lighting. (I say "somewhat" because it was unusually sunny outside -- maybe if we'd started later, say at 7 PM when rush hour is slackening, it would have been more so.)

I had a memory of us having conducted "The Office of Tenebrae" before, and sure enough we had, as noted in two years ago in a posting with the same title as here. Although the order of the service was quite difference, the dimming of the church was the same -- and as I was handling the lights again this year, I had the same annoyances reported two years ago.

Interestingly, during last year's Good Friday Vigil 3-year-old Pru was trying to say the Lord's Prayer along with the rest of us. This year 4-year-old Pru was trying the Benedictus Es. Amazing.

I will note the church was appropriately spare for the service. I only have this picture, taken well before the service, because I'd brought my camera, tripod and slave flash for some experimental test shots in advance of tomorrow evening's baptisms, in case the parents still wanted pictures. (Sadly my digital SLR is out of commission until the budget has room for repairs but the backup faux-SLR, purchased when the dSLR died the first time on the way to our first Anglican Camp, takes great photos too.)

Palm Sunday

Today is the first Sunday of a stretch of five weeks for which I have no travel plans. Nice, particularly as it's Holy Week, and I now have some time to catch up on what's been happening at St. Bartholomew's, not just the occasional "visit" between trips.

As per our Palm Sunday tradition, we started out in the Parish Hall downstairs with a reading, the blessing of the palms, and then a procession outside up to the Nave. Just a short walk, but this year we were blessed with sunshine and fairly comfortable temperatures (which didn't last; by afternoon it was overcast and chilly). The windows to the church were left open so we could hear the organ -- but we didn't, so we were rather out of sync upon arrival. I think I've mentioned before in this blog that for such occasions we need a speaker outside.

We also had a number of birthdays to celebrate this week. Elle brought a cake for the mass celebration, her daughter being one of the group. (Next Sunday it's my turn -- my birthday will occur on Easter for the first and probably only time in my life, though the pre-calculated schedule for Easter in our Book of Common Prayer ends in 2013.) Little Danny is better known for liking grapes & cheese, but it was amusing to see him eyeing the cake today...

Update:

It appears Ranjit has a really good eye for photography. We were both armed with cameras this morning, but my thinking went no further than "event" shots, so I completely missed this one of the palms folded into crosses that Ranjit took.

Touch and Go

"Touch and Go" seems to be my new work "lifestyle," one that's interfering with this blog. Although I enjoyed Munich immensely -- the few hours I got spend to spend downtown, including dinners in the Ratskellar and the famous Hofbräuhaus (in the company of Canadian and Polish colleagues) -- I also got word that I was to be off to the East Coast this week and so I started booking the upcoming trip soon after I arrived in Munich.

("Touch and Go" also describes the experience of the Continental Airlines pilot landing in Frankfurt, Germany about the time I landed in Munich -- apparently there is a frightening video of his dealings with the wind upon landing. What I experienced in Munich was reminiscent of Dec. 2006 here, with trees whipping back & forth in the winds; I'm just glad their trees are so much smaller than ours.)

I'd reset most of the clocks in the house last night so being up in time was no problem. (And hey, it's only a one-hour change -- really easy compared to the 3, 9 and 11-1/2 hour shifts I regularly make.)

But this morning I felt a real sense of disconnect. Two weeks ago (was it only two weeks ago I was last at church?) I'd noticed some shoots coming up in the gardens. Today they were daffodils (Kathy says "jonquil," "daffodil" is a Welsh name but I prefer the Welsh) and I realized I'd missed St. David's Day.

And more. Our Genesis Bible Study for Lent moved on while I was gone (naturally) and so now it's become a series of disconnected stories. I'm saddened for what I've missed because when the Church Fathers are brought in, there is so much more to learn. (It would be unfair to Fr. Daniel to ask for a "self-study" document to play catch-up -- his hands are so full already.)

But even beyond this it was a shock to realize that today is Passion Sunday, next Sunday (I'll be here!) Palm Sunday, and the Sunday after that: my birthday -- first (and last) time for me it will fall on Easter.

After this trip I expect to be home for 5 whole weeks and plan on being here (cameras in hand) for the Easter Even baptisms.

Selah again

For all I've enjoyed a few days being home, I head out to Europe in the morning, returning mid-week. It looks like we'll have our baptisms shortly before Easter, so stay tuned.

Home again and catching up...

It was a LONG journey home yesterday, taking off from India shortly after 2 AM (local time), with two 10+ hour flights and one 5 hour flight, returning home at 10 PM the same day, 33-1/2 hours in transit. (On the first flight it was interesting to watch the hours-long dawn as the sun slowly caught up to us.)

While I was away the parish held our Annual Parish Meeting. As yet I know nothing about it, other than the Vestry was reduced to a more reasonable size, Barbara was one of the two elected, and that a new budget was approved.

A visit to St. Mark's Cathedral

Thanks to various circumstances, I almost did not make it to St. Mark's Cathedral this morning for the 7 AM service. As it was, I dashed in right at 7 AM through the warming humid air while the bell was ringing to announce the service and the processional hymn began. I had been so rushed after the overtime phone-call from home that I even forgot my glasses, which made following the service a bit difficult.

Unlike Christ Church, Vienna, the service here was different; the liturgy had been modernized and shortened, though the prayer book noted the latter for this service. Still, it was recognizable and a few of the prayers/creed were mostly the same.

The people were nice, overcoming my usual discomfort of being the obvious outsider (since business was to ensure soon after I wore my business suit, and I was evidently the only non-Indian present). And I have to say, they had quite a good turnout for an early Sunday morning service!

The hymnal was interesting -- like this item before, they had only the words and not the music. Curious.

Later in the day I had time free to walk about this corner of Bangalore, and see and shoot the state High Court and Legislature buildings, giant buildings in which our state capitol could be lost just in their janitors' closets.

On the way, I noticed something interesting -- on the western terminus of Mahatma Gandhi Road (aka "MG Road") St. Mark's had an LED rotating signboard with a message, here John 16:2, followed by the text.

It's a boy!

Arrived in India last night, went online this morning... and learned the Miller's baby had arrived. Welcome, Rudy Elwyn!