I Light This Candle and Remember You

A year ago today my beloved Bill joined the Communion of Saints and began his journey in Eternal Life.  This candle burns to the Glory of God and in thanksgiving for the gift of his love and the joy of his quiet, nurturing influence on our lives.

The legacy he left continues in the redesigned website at st-bartholomews.org.

O MERCIFUL God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the resurrection and the life, in whom whosoever believeth, shall live though he die, and whosoever liveth and believeth in him, shall not die eternally; who also taught us (by his holy Apostle Paul) not to be sorry, as men without hope, for them that sleep in him: We meekly beseech thee (O Father) to raise us from the death of sin unto the life of righteousness, that when we shall depart this life, we may rest in him, as our hope is this our brother doth; and that at the general resurrection in the last day, we may be found acceptable in thy sight, and receive that blessing which thy well-beloved Son shall then pronounce to all that love and fear thee, saying, Come ye blessed children of my Father, receive the kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the world. Grant this we beseech thee, O merciful Father, through Jesus Christ our mediator and redeemer. Amen.  From the Book of Common Prayer 1559

New Censer given in Bill's memory

One of Bill's most loved duties when serving at the altar was to carry and swing the censer on high feast days. He often mentioned that it was looking pretty ragged and that the lining meant to keep heat in had failed and needed replacing. In preparation for Easter, I took a closer look at the old censer and decided it was time to do something about it. So, Father Davis and I had a look around the web to see what was offered that would be fitting.

After much searching we settled on this scaled down replica of the "Bota Fumeiro" from the Cathedral of Santiago the Compostela in Spain. Just like the original, it really puts out the smoke!

Annual Parish Meeting

Well, it's that time again when we assess the past year and prepare for the new. This time last year I was writing my little piece about the KAIROS Prison Ministry, in which I have been active since 1990. Our parish has been a steady and strong partner in this endeavor for many years. Last year I asked for a financial commitment and was very pleased when little St. Bartholomew's and the Anglican Church Women came through. It takes courage and vision to step beyond our comfort zone, yet Scripture exhorts us to visit the sick and those in prison, and to take care of widows and orphans. Having recently become a widow I can attest to the comfort I have received from many in this church I have called home for over 28 years. I am grateful for the people of St. Bartholomew's who stepped up and freed me to participate in this life changing program. I have written an updated report which will be available in the booklet at the Annual Meeting on Sunday, January 29.

Father Davis asked me to prepare two additional reports for the booklet: Webmaster and Blogger. These are a legacy of love from my late husband, William (Bill) Swan. It was a difficult undertaking as I do not possess Bill's talent for writing, nor his gift for things technical. This year, after Bill went home to God, Neil Eney stepped forward and volunteered to assume the webmaster responsibilities. I am grateful to Neil for his support and will continue working with him during the transition. Please welcome and support Neil in his new capacity. I have retained the blog, but am willing to yield it to another if the Spirit moves.

Please pray for our parish as we move forward in sustaining and encouraging growth.

It's Christmas Eve Again

The frantic pace of life has come to something of a halt as Christmas Eve is near dawning. Christmas was one of Bill's favorite times of year. He would take out and set up the tree, gently and purposefully decorating it, stopping from time to time to consult with the kitchen dwellers who were preparing supper and baking in advance of Christmas Day. It was a time of joy and family togetherness that filled his heart with peace. We carefully avoided any talk of upcoming travel and focused rather on the ineffable gift the Father gave this sad and tired world: Jesus Christ, the Redeemer of our souls, the King of all Creation, the tiny, vulnerable newborn whose first cries were heard by nearby shepherds and whose lullaby was the flutter of angels' wings. This year we will pause and give thanks for Bill's quiet, worshipful spirit and do our best to emulate him as we decorate the tree, listen to Christmas music on the stereo, remembering how much it meant to him to be home at this time. Bill is now at peace, home where he belongs in the heavenly choir. I can almost hear him singing: "Adeste Fideles." For unto us and child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulders. And His Name shall be called: Wonderful, Counselor, Almighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. And He shall reign forever and ever.

Selah - again.....

Dear Friends, It has been a long time since I last posted here - still hurting from Bill's absence. I had great plans to post photos from his memorial service but I have not managed to get them processed or in some kind of order. There have been major changes at St. Bartholomew's, mostly involving redecorating the nave and the narthex - paint, new flooring, a set of rescued 100 year old mahogany pews.... Please, those who have taken photos allow me to post them here. Thank you. I don't know how to carry on what Bill did here for those of you who depended upon him for guidance in choosing a church to visit when out of town.... he really got around, didn't he? I am far less mobile than he was - but feel free to check the archives - he posted from all over the world. Gratefully in Christ, Kathy

Memorial Service and Celebration of Life

Wednesday, July 6th, 2011 at 11 a.m. we will gather at St. Bartholomew's Anglican Church in Woodinville, Washington, to remember William Orr Swan, III (Bill). Let us thank Almighty God for giving us such a precious gift in this dear one and honor his memory by carrying on his work in the church.

To be absent from the body is to be present with Christ

Dear ones in our Lord, It is my sad duty to inform you that Bill has gone to be with Our Lord - he slipped away on Saturday morning at 9:09 am. I will inform you when memorial plans have been made. Finding someone to take his mantle is going to be extraordinarily difficult. Your prayers for our family are appreciated more than mere words can express. -Kathy

On the side lines for now...

Dear readers, I am guest posting because Bill cannot. He is in the Critical Care Unit at John Muir Medical Center in Concord, California. Bill fell ill during our trip for the annual Diocesan Synod in Lafayette and was taken to hospital. Bill is on life support and has not regained consciousness. A meeting is planned for tomorrow with his medical team. We hope to learn more about his condition and prognosis. Stay tuned, and please P R A Y. We need it! Gratefully in Christ Jesus, Kathy

A time of travel

If the blog seems to be moving slow these days, there's a reason: I'm not home much, at least until sometime in June. My spring travel season started out looking fairly light, but filled in with a lot more travel than anticipated. (And it's not just me -- on some teleconference last week one of my colleagues was complaining about the travel one of our technical efforts has caused.)

Last Sunday I missed Tanaya's baptism and the ability to report on it -- I was on a plane to San Francisco, for a week of meetings of one of my technical committees.

The good news was that I was able to get away Wednesday evening for Evening Prayer and Mass at St. Thomas', or at least most of it. It took over an hour to get there from downtown by bus so I arrived in the middle of Evening Prayer, but at least I got there.

It looks like the Spring meeting of this committee (we meet quarterly) will now be held in San Francisco instead of in Maryland, so I may get to visit St. Thomas once a year about this time.

This Mother's Day morning I am back at St. Bartholomew's but will miss next Sunday's service because I will be again on an airplane, on final approach into SeaTac airport and home, from Germany and Paris.

Some "Triduum" photos

Not having much to say at this point, I thought I'd just post some photos of the altar through the Triduum so far, Maundy Thursday through Easter Even. This was not exactly a well-planned set, since I couldn't even remember from one day to the next what angle from which I'd taken previous photos. And if I had been really serious about this I would have set up the photos to get a fairly close color match between the photos (even though the lighting changed considerably, as the originals show). A pity I was serving and not able to take photos this evening -- I was unable to capture a dramatic shot of Geoffrey extinguishing the candles while sunlight streamed in through the incense haze (it's been suggested we take the nickname "Smoky Bart's," but we really don't use it that often or as heavily as a certain church in Texas).

Update 4/24: Easter photo added.

Palm Sunday

I would have loved to title this posting "Balm(y) Sunday," but it wasn't to be. Especially for such a late Easter, this is a cold one. After my tour Sunday afternoon London turned gray and chilly for the rest of the week, but it was apparently even chillier here. So it was that this morning when I woke up it was snowing. Not much, and unless things got worse it wasn't going to stick, but it was snow regardless. A little hint of sun and blue sky soon after the service, but that was all. I hope the forecast Fr. Davis had for later in the week, of warmer weather, bears out. Otherwise it will still look and feel a bit like winter.

Still, we celebrated Palm Sunday in our traditional fashion, beginning with the Blessing of the Palms downstairs in the Parish Hall. The sharp-eyed frequent reader will note a change in the color of the walls -- yes, Rhonda and some of the youth repainted the Hall week before last. I had a photo ready for a blog entry about that, but there was no time in London.

Then we processed up to the Nave for the service -- spared by the snow, sleet, hail and other precipitation we often enjoy -- welcoming several local Lithuanian/Lithuanian-American guests on our celebration of the anniversary (by our church Ordo Kalendar year) of our first service with the Lithuanian-American altar from St. George's, Cleveland. (See last year's posts.) As I reported in private conversations today, we have received not only an altar but its history and that of St. George's, now intertwined into and recorded with our own parish history.

And thanks to Vilia, a few of us attended a party where eggs were being decorated according to Lithuanian customs. The basics seem simple enough, though a bit more work than American childrens' custom, and impressive results from those with more skill at planning and execution. It's been suggested we have a party/class to teach this Lithuanian skill next year at St. Bartholomew's. I am guessing this will be of interest not only to the children!

Not quite as planned

My tentative plans for when I arrived in London were to check in at the hotel (at the airport) then, if I were up to it, to take a train to St. Mary's in Goring-by-Sea (which I had visited before) for their 9:30 AM service. But alas, it was not to be.

My flight from Atlanta was delayed a couple of hours by equipment trouble, so we arrived at Gatwick about 9:30 AM instead of 7:10. All that remained for me, it seemed, was to go into London proper and tour. But while crossing the airport looking for the hotel, I heard an announcement, generally directed at the passengers of a couple incoming flights, for a short Anglican service in the airport chapel at 10:30. I checked my watch and it seemed I would have just enough time to make it after checking in at the hotel, and I did!

It was (unsurprisingly) not a well-attended service; the minister, another fellow who read the Gospel (I guess a regular), and myself to begin with -- we were joined by a fourth a bit later, who made the comment about how this must have been "the old mens' service." But at least I was able to make Mass, if not how and where planned.

Laetare (or Rose) Sunday

Today is the Fourth Sunday in Lent, known as Laetare (or Rose) Sunday, and also as Mothering Sunday. The altar was decorated with rose (or pink) flowers, and Fr. Davis came as near to wearing pink (or rose) vestments as he ever will, he says.

But he also noted that from here on things will become a bit more stark.

Found on camera

I sat down a few minutes to take of some online business after finishing some preparations for next week's trip (little things like finishing the powerpoint for my talk), including a new entry in this blog. The first thing was to look at the pictures on the camera from this morning, but there I found a picture from last Sunday taken for a blog entry -- and forgotten the entire week following, even though I had the camera with me the whole time (and never used). Of course, really early-morning flights mean I should head to bed early and I guess there just wasn't time to post this this last Sunday.

So here it is, a picture of Schola Cantorum at practice after the service. I don't know what all of their plans are, but I gather it includes the Maundy Thursday service as all as Easter.

Sunday Traffic Alert

Paul reminded us in the service that I-405 through Bellevue will be closed this coming weekend. People who come to church that way should consider an alternate route.

About the "Stations"

Fr. Davis has been deciding on a week-by-week basis whether or not to have the "Stations of the Cross" Friday nights, at least in part uncertain of turnout. Apparently the interest is high because they've been every week -- until this week. But there is a conflict with something happening in Bremerton this Friday --I forgot to write down what it was-- so we won't have it this week.

Unable to report

Between travel and illness, I don't have much to report. It was looking like a relatively light travel regime this spring, but more trips popped up and I'll be away away a significant amount of time until late-May. Yesterday morning a trip to Germany wound up on my schedule, and I don't know if it will end up overlapping Synod -- and won't until next week.

And if that weren't bad enough, I returned last night from the first of the series of trips ill, maybe just a bad cold but also leaving me without much energy. So not only will I be missing all but maybe one of the Lenten Wednesday evening Bible Studies, but probably tomorrow's Stations of the Cross (though I did make that last Friday).

Voces in Silvae

It looks like St. Bartholomew's choir, FKA(?) Schola Cantorum will rise like a phoenix once again -- maybe not a good analogy because we're rising not so much from ashes as rust, and maybe not even that; it's just never quite taken wing. But I think it requires more effort than the Rector can regularly provide,

So I'm quite pleased to see our organist Scott (who today added his voice for a special First Sunday in Lent) also take on choir leadership -- and has he done so in a big way! Not only in signing up volunteers and seeking to fill under-represented elements of the choir, but adding Internet communications of significant value through his new blog, Voces in Silvae, or "Voices in the Forest." What name could be more appropriate!

Take a look. You'll also learn about the new Johannus Opus 17 organ coming to St. Bartholomew's. (And there will be more to follow, but that's for future times.)

They're safe!

Soon after I learned (Saturday morning) about the earthquake and tsunami, I sent an email inquiry of concern to my friend and colleague in Japan, Takeji and his wife Kyoko, who visited us five years ago. And later asked that they be added to today's prayer list, particularly after seeing a video of the earthquake in Yokohama.

Not long after we got home this afternoon we received an email from Kyoko and Takeji, reporting that they and their home (and by extension, some and daughter-in-law) are all fine. The note concluded with a quote from scripture:

Who(You) through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.(1 Peter 1:5)

Shrove Tuesday

I can only plead illness/low-energy for this photo from the Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper this evening. I had positioned myself to get some good photos, but every time I took a shot something went awry. This was the best, though it doesn't show many sitting further back.

But regardless, we had a good turnout for Evening Prayer, with more showing up later. (In part this is due to Seattle traffic; rush "hour" is a difficult time to get around.)

And our chefs Gordon, C.J. and Bob (assisted by Geoffrey) were in usual good form serving up plain, apple, blueberry and (at a certain person's request, echoed by the kids) chocolate pancakes! With a choice of maple or Mrs. Butterworth's syrup. Bacon and sausage as well.

Kathy brought the syrups and was shocked at the price of maple syrup this year, but I seemed to recall they are having trouble with sugar maples -- some kind of root fungus? (Maybe next year I'll order some light and sweet Michigan maple syrup for the Michiganders in our midst.)

Kathy was also the first on the answer to Fr. Davis' question: "What is 'Shrove' in Shrove Tuesday?"

I ducked out a bit early because I really need more rest, but it was a good time regardless. And things seemed to be still cranking up at that point.

But tomorrow is Ash Wednesday and we'll be into Lent.

Looking ahead

I was out ill so I missed today's service. Reports are that the church was pretty full, despite some notable absences -- folks ill or away.

But we ramp up a bit this week with Shrove Tuesday and the Pancake Supper (my stomach hurts already), two services on Ash Wednesday (but not at noon, so I can't break away from work that), and what I assume are regular Stations of the Cross on Fridays during Lent.

No "Truth Project" this Wednesday evening, but I am told we'll finish it next Wednesday. Starting the following Wednesday evening (the 23rd) we'll be having Bible Study again. I don't have my flight itinerary in mind (there are three trip packets on my desk at work, and this week I will probably be submitting a travel request for a fourth trip) but I think I will be getting in from... Atlanta... a bit too late for that.

A Time of Changes

This blog entry was exceptionally difficult to title, mainly due to an embarrassment of riches. But if I posted every item independently there would be three, four, or maybe more entries just for today. So I will combine them all under the general topic of changes.

It's hard to pin any one point as the beginning of changes when in fact St. Bartholomew's has been generally in change from day one (for me). Sometimes slower, sometimes faster, but always something. So I will arbitrarily pick a point 11 months ago tomorrow, when we conducted our first "facility" change on Palm Sunday before the new (to us) Lithuanian-American altar.

Since then we have seen steady growth, perhaps and hopefully most recently as an Anglican family new to our locale visited us for the third time today. During the announcements Father Davis noted that point, addressed them by name (I'm simply terrible with names, one reason I should never be a priest) with a clear jest to the effect that "on the third visit, you're set! You are one of us." It's funny, but for us it was our third visit that clinched it so long ago. We had been looking for a good Episcopal church home and visited St. Bartholomew's by accident... and we're still here.

But I'm seeing St. Bartholomew's getting to the point where we may need two Masses on Sundays. Nice for the early-risers (like me) but not for night-owls (like my spouse). The only downside of such is that, like the church wherein I was raised which had three services, at parish meetings one has multiple groups of parishioners equally devoted to the parish but who barely know each other! I cannot imagine such at St. Bartholomew's.

And this growth element showed up again two weeks ago with the delayed Welcome Party for Tanaya. During announcements that day Father Davis was going to say we were welcoming the newest member of the parish, but recognized that Don & Jan (I hope I have that right -- did I say I was poor with names?) had joined us after Tanaya's arrival from India.

Don and Jan: they went up for blessings today and we all thought "wedding anniversary." I saw an unusual little bit of discussion at the altar rail, and it turned out this was for birthday blessings: one birthday today and the other Tuesday! They were also all ears when, during announcements, Kathy talked about support for the upcoming (in three weeks) Kairos Prison Ministry weekend in the womens' prison in Purdy, WA. It appears they know others who have been involved in or led Kairos locally.

And finally I return to "facility" changes. Last Sunday Father Davis talked about the "Organ Donor" program, hoping it would be the first and last time. St. Bartholomew's organ is apparently on its last legs. I know it loses its stops settings every time the power goes out, but it seems the (gold-wire?) contacts are going too. My ears haven't heard anything, but several others more attuned to the organ have, and we apparently have a professional assessment on this. It is a ca. 70s organ and the second "real" organ we've had. (I am not including the WWI Army field or the 1888 parlor organ we used for a bit, in the early days.)

It appears the call has been met and soon after Easter we will have a (truly) new organ, built to our specifications and shipped from the Netherlands!

Cancelled

Tonight was to be, I believe, the 11th installment of "The Truth Project" video. But with significant snow in the forecast, I was watching the weather radar all day and all I could say about the forecasts was "I don't know." High winds, unsettled weather, snow flurries in clear sun, everything was up in the air -- this household already decided to stay home. Whatever hits Woodinville, it could be much worse here.

A couple of minutes ago Claire phoned to say the evening is cancelled. Sure enough, checking the traffic cams linked from the church website, just north of the church there is significant snow sticking on the roads. A few miles south, not yet. But better safe than sorry -- Seattle traffic conditions can (though they don't always) deteriorate amazing quickly when snow comes in. It's nothing at all like the Midwest.

Return to St. Mary's?

Hard to believe it's only been a little over three years since I wrote about "The Trees of St. Mary's, from Goring-by-Sea in Sussex, England. But I am now making arrangements for my return to the U.K. in April and thought of visiting them again, this time to attend a service.

The situation is not ideal: I am scheduled to arrive at London Gatwick at 7 AM on a Sunday and experience says I'm fairly wiped when I arrive in Europe (always in the morning). But functional enough to clear Immigration, catch a second flight if necessary, and still get to my hotel however I get there: whether by car, train, or taxi. Also not sure yet if Gatwick has showers so I can clean up & dress up -- I'm definitely not at my most presentable when I arrive in Europe and I'm sure their dress code is a bit higher than my travel regime, though I rarely if ever travel wearing jeans. Slacks, nice shirt, jacket... walking shoes or maybe dressier slip-ons (with orthotics).

By early afternoon Sunday I'll be pretty much trashed and will need to be in a hotel so I can adjust my body clock for the days ahead.

But it looks good. Their "Sung Eucharist" is at 09:30, map services says it's only a 45 minute *drive* from Gatwick Airport, and the nearest train station is only 3/4 kilometer from the church. (I don't have to bug my co-worker there for a lift.) I think I can get there in plenty of time, walk on over, participate in "Sung Eucharist" (will they be "higher church" than St. Bart's? stay tuned), catch the train back to LGW, have lunch, check in at the hotel and crash.

Still have to research a few elements of this, but it seems the Wandering Anglican just might get to visit St. Mary's again.

(An alternative is to skip all this, take the train into London, tour it again this time including Lambeth Palace if it's open on a Sunday, and be off-schedule/jet-lagged for my meetings.)

Got off easy?

Yesterday was the first Mens' Breakfast & Fellowship (and work party) I've been to in some time. Partly because it's not every month anymore, and partly because I've usually been away. So I looked forward to this one, even though we were asked to "bring rakes" because the latest windstorm had once again left the parking lot full of debris from the trees.

During breakfast, following Morning Prayer, Fr. Davis mentioned that Larry was going to be bringing a list of additional things to be worked, given him by outgoing Junior Warden Paul (I am guessing that Larry is our new Junior Warden). But Larry didn't arrive, for whatever reason.

So we raked the drive and lot, and (I) went home. Just as well; it had been an extremely difficult week at work and I really needed some rest, though I wound up replacing the thermostats on the water heater instead -- it was delivering scalding hot water.

Today I will read the Epistle. It's nice being back into the swing of things, though trouble (as in yet more travel) is looming in the world of work.

Welcome (again) Tanaya!

It's been about 3 months since she finally arrived in the U.S., but the youngest (though no longer newest) member of our parish was "officially" welcomed today with rather a bit of a party after Mass. Marissa and Genevieve decorated the Parish Hall (Fr. Davis "warned" us about this during Announcements) -- it was a delight, even if balloons kept getting entangled with people and dragged everywhere.

We had a number of visitors too, including Tanaya's adoptive grandmother from Chennai (I've been to India twice on business, loved it, and really want to see more of the country), plus a family of Anglicans moved to the local area from elsewhere near Seattle. (I hope you liked what you saw -- but for reasons I've modified the photo slightly to hide faces, such is the sad state of Internet affairs these days.)

But Tanaya herself? It was clear she was having a great time!

Delegate to Diocesan Synod

I'm so far behind on things I just now read the announcements on the back of last Sunday's bulletin!

I see there, among other things including retired and new Vestry members (congratulations, Nancy and Larry), I was elected again as a delegate to Synod in May. Guess I better mark that on my work calendar. But my flight at least will be paid by my employer, since two days later I have committee meetings right in the area.

Unsettled

Don't know how well I'm going to sleep tonight. Last night we watched the file "Iranium" at a nearby church. Although I'm a little more sensitive to events in Iran than most (in part due to having a number of Iranian-American friends -- Sunday we will join them at a memorial for Dr. Daryoush Homayoun), the picture painted by this film is profoundly disturbing when the dots are so believably connected.

Then tonight it was the 9th lesson of Focus on the Family's "The Truth Project":

Of all the social spheres, the state, to which God grants the power of the sword for the punishment of evil and the preservation of the good, has the greatest potential to go awry if it oversteps its authority. The civil magistrate must always remember his place under the sovereignty of God – otherwise, havoc will ensue.

Now I've missed most of the series so far; this is only the third one I have attended. Next week's will be interesting also (if I don't get too much homework from next week's training class), and it looks like I'm home for the last three.

But tonight's lesson, "The State: Whose Law?" was disturbing in its own right. Much like the situation in Iran, not that there was anything particular new about the events and trends (and there was a lot not mentioned tonight), but like most people I've not connected all the dots, whether through inability, lack of time, or distraction.

All I can do is pray, as we did in Evening Prayer this evening: "O Lord, save the State," and "O Lord, save thy people."

The Society of Anglican Techies

We had visitors in church Sunday. I was a bit embarrassed to not have recognized one, because he's been a friend going at least back to 1987, though this was only the second time I'd seen him, the first time being around 1997.

Sometime around 1987 David and I were working on similar projects: being able to send and receive e-mail on our CP/M computers (old even then, but still useful). E-mail was fairly primitive then; you had to directly specify the routing path from computer to computer to the destination, what we called "bang-routing" because a path to "Bob" would look like "sigma!uw-beaver!tikal!ihnp4!plugh!bob," with a few computers such as ihnp4 carrying the long-haul traffic, instead of simply typing "bob@plugh.com" (the latter, domain-name routing, was just starting to come into use).

E-mail to Australia was even more fun. Messages reached some computer where all outgoing messages were spooled up onto magnetic tape, then flown to Australia where they were read off the tape and sent on their way. Return e-mail worked the same way. But I digress.

David lived back East at the time, as I recall, but we had a number of conversations on the Usenet CP/M forums. He and his wife showed up at St. Bartholomew's one Sunday about 1997, a day when I was home sick, but I got up and joined them for brunch at a restaurant a block away from home. It's then that I learned that he was a member of the APCK too.

The news this Sunday was very happy; he's taken a job nearby! Until his relocation to the area is complete we won't see a lot of him. But it will be great to welcome him into our growing band of Anglican techies. (It's only too bad the Anglican Geek and his family aren't here, but I know it's a LONG haul for them.)

Speakers

It's a hastily-taken picture so it doesn't show the grill very well, but the "rumor" that the organ speakers were finally going to be relocated from the floor beside the organ into the space over the Narthex turned out to be true. The sound was definitely improved!

And our new organist Scott started also. It looks like the music program is headed to even greater heights!

Whispers

Little by little, news of St. Bartholomew's has been filtering in to me during my two weeks' absence due to travel.

Lots of it centers around the organ: we have a new organist who starts tomorrow, there is apparently activity around finally getting the organ speakers off the floor and back above the Nave where we'll get better sound, and apparently something about a new organ!

Fr. Davis' newsletter a few days ago (which I only caught up with today) about the Annual Parish Meeting was most encouraging, though it also hints at challenges ahead.

And other small items, too little to note here. It will be good to return tomorrow and catch up.

AND begin what is hopefully another extended stay home. Although my next trip is now probably the week of March 21st (followed by the already-scheduled trip the week of the 28th), it looks like I have dodged one that should have been called for next week or the week following, any time after that being too late.

"One more said Mass,"

announced Fr. Davis today. It seems we have a new organist starting in two weeks (when I am back, beginning another "extended" month and a half stay at home).

He announced the dates for this year's Diocesan Synod, May 18-21, same place as last year. Interesting -- I have committee meetings nearby starting two days later. My employer will pay for my airline travel for the meetings, but attending Synod and a Saturday night stay might cut the cost. We all win.

Absent again

Tonight (right about now!) the next session of The Truth Project begins, and once again I'm not present. We must be about half-way through this very interesting set of DVDs, but between travel and illness I've made it to only two sessions. I really wanted to see the second half of Part 5 on the evolution debate last week, but was home sick.

Tonight, Fr. Davis had noted Sunday, we would set out on the history series of the project. But my wife is now ill with what I had last week, only far worse; the doctor said it's something going around. So I'm staying home tonight. The next two Wednesdays I am traveling, and there just won't be much left in the series after that, even though no new trips have come up between my return home early February and next trip late March. (I was looking at going to Frankfurt again mid-March, but fortunately that's not going to be necessary -- though one of my next two trips across the Atlantic is going to be extended somewhat instead.)

It's hard to report on things when you're not there. I'll be away during the Annual Parish Meeting in a week and a half -- but I look on the bright side: nobody's asked me to stand for the Vestry this year. (grin)

Seattle Seahawks Sunday

It is not true, as Fr. Davis confirmed before today's service, that the altar was dressed today in green in honor of the Seattle Seahawks, our local football ("American football") team playing in the playoffs starting about the same time as Mass.

It is not true that there was a Seahawks flag in the Sanctuary.

It is also not true that we had a said Mass so people could run off to watch the game against the Chicago Bears. At least I'm pretty sure that's not true; Kathy was a bit under the weather.

It does appear that we don't have any "12th Men" (Seahawks fans) or, if we did, their priority was to be at church instead of the TV because the pews were again full.

But during Coffee Hour Geoffrey did tune in to the game on the radio, set up in one of the Sunday School rooms for those interested.

Instead my wife and I went out for Sunday lunch, finding a restaurant with the game on TV screens and (unlike the Redmond pubs) with seating. Given the amount of Seahawk fervor I'd heard, finding this was surprising. (Though it had a LOT of "12th Men" present.)

But the Seahawks lost. Oh well. I guess it's a bit late now for a prayer for victory.