26-28 January 2010

Much has happened in the past few days. On Tuesday I cancelled our Feb 1 flight to Port au Prince. It was simply too much to pay for a less than 72-hr drop into VOH with a return of Feb. 5. Things may work out for the better inasmuch as it now appears that a team of a dozen or so will go down sometime in the near future. All of which means that June will still go on her cruise with Becky, Jimmie-Lee, and her daughter. I get the week here by myself. Perhaps I can catch up on some writing, do some serious walking, buy the making of another batch of beer, perhaps visit Lisa, Katie, and Tim, and spend some time at the Orthodox cathederal in Atlanta.

Phatteicher's New Book of Festivals & Commemorati0ns arrived yesterday. An ecumenical effort that might well pay off. Chas' rose plant coming along nicely with the addition of coffee grounds in the soil. The "crown of thorns" suffers but showing small signs of renewal. And the bougainville looks as though it will make it for the spring outting.

Saw Extraordinary Measures with June on Tuesday as that cinema day is getting itself fairly institutionalized week by week. UK lost to SC and broke its winning streak.

This afternoon, after a fourth-straight afternoon walk with June, we go over to Barnesville, I to work on the boat, June to get her nails done (thank God I don't have to do that, rather spend my money on a good book), and later we're to have some of Hugh's chili. Good bright day now for that sort of thing.

Really looking forward to being alone. Must get the time really dedicated to what matters: prayer, fasting as recommended by the Didache, walking. I bought a big bag of dog food in case Mitzy shows up.

Obama's speech last night--a dandy. I need to write to Gina Rocca.

22-25 January 2010

The weekend has gone by quickly. I remember nothing of Saturday; I think June and I watched a forgetable movie late in the evening. Sunday, however, was inescapably memorable. First, that which I wish I could forget: worship at First Baptist Church. Garth's sermons are now so formulaic as to be exercises in trying to stay awake. Five-point lectures with PowerPoint slides and without any semblance of Good News. Moralistic drivel. Even June feels embarrassed by the poverty of thought, aesthetics, or Gospel. All one faintly (thank goodness!) remembers is there to be some sort of a turkey shoot, a dinner of venison, and some unbelievable story about a Rick Warren Baptist church serving its community with lessons for toddler potty training. Good grief!

What a relief to get over to St. John Lutheran Church with its robust proclamation of the Gospel, joyful singing, and full announcement that Christ is with and for us in the Eucharist. Jonathan Meeks gave a fine presentation on his recent trip to Nepal--such excellent photographs! And after the Eucharist a wonderfully scrumptuous pot luck dinner and a parish meeting with reports from nearly everyone in the parish. Eucharist with an Agape. A good Lord's Day!

Babbett's Feast arrived today and we watch it tonight.

18-21 January 2010

Morning of the 21st. Nearly constant rain. The lake’s rivers, especially the Yellow, are swollen, the brown mud out beyond the cove thick as molasses, driftwood gathering in the cove. Yesterday, however, full of light, and last night’s Vespers (Holden Evening Prayer) especially beautiful with Jewish melodies and “You shall go out with joy and be led forth with peace, and the mountains and the hills will break forth before you. There’ll be shouts of joy and all the trees of the field will clap their hand . . . while you go out with joy.” The young people are a joy to watch, and Carly's singing Luke’s entrance into the Song of Mary especially beautiful.

Charles Klopfenstein’s talk to the confirmation class about B'nai Israel's Shabbat was interesting and well done with good questions from Joe’s son Corey. And what a delight to see one of our elder Jewish brothers listed in the parish directory with his Lutheran wife. A taste of paradise. I’m in rather continued amazement as Pastor Katie’s graceful leadership. Interestingly, I was asked to be part of the Mutual Ministry Committee.

On Tuesday June and I watched Avatar in 3D. I think C. S. Lewis and Tolkien would have enjoyed the film, not only for its technological bravado, but for its mythic truthings, saturated throughout.

Things now stand quite undecided about going to Port au Prince. It’s a matter of Debbie Berquiest at VOH getting enough fuel to make trips to the airport. AA tells me that flights may resume on the 25th so there’s a chance that Luckey and I, bringing money and clothes for the children, may do down to see Marie. Everything is His hands.

After Eucharist on Sunday, Pastor anointed Michael with oils and prayer, and Myrna spoke boldly to him; I don’t know Michael's last name, but have promised to remember him daily in the intercessions.

Morning and Evening Prayers with June—so special. More rain. And tonight the real possibility of all the children in Marie's orphanage being from en masse to the States for adoption.

17 January 2010, The Second Sunday after Epiphany

Pastor Nancy Christensen, assistant to Bishop Gordy, presented us with a most insightful homily at this morning's Eucharist, weaving into the Gospel for the day, the story of Jesus at the wedding in Cana, her mission work in Guatemala. The singing of songs from other countries, especially the Swedish Samba "You Are Holy" and the Tanzanian "Listen, God is Calling" was lovely. Such a joy-filled day, but deeply saddened by our thoughts and prayers for the people of Haiti. For the rest of our lives we must repent of our imperialist sins against the Haitian people and commit ourselves to the restoration of that beloved country. God help us.

12-16 January 2010

Days of unspeakable tragedy, sorrow, heartache. The first news of the earthquake in Haiti came, not from TV, but via email sent by Debbie Berquist from the Village of Hope in Port au Prince:

Jan 12, 2010 - 6:03pm WE ARE ALL FINE....shook up in more ways than one as you can well imagine. A few MINOR bruises. It is 5:40 PM as we type this and we are still having a few after shocks...the room shakes as I type. All the Haitian staff at Hope House are fine as well. My Haiti phones are out. Some of the team members (from PA) have been able to contact their families.

Since that message, many more, some almost hourly. Marie Major is all right as are all her children at Grace Orphanage; the kids at The Little Children of Jesus Orphanage are okay. A fragment of a phone call from Johnson tells us that Johnson and Andronic are alive; there is no word yet about Stevenson. We fearful that he may not be alive. My talk to the parish on Sunday bears fruit with money being collected, many prayers offered, and SJLC fully aware of the disaster. Received word today that Thrivent is matching funds given for relief: $1 for every $2 donated. In touch with Luckey, Pat, and Sherri; all of us are convinced that our scheduled February 1 trip to Port au Prince is on indefinite hold.

On Wednesday I met with Larry Schultz on the Global Missions Committee at the Manhattan Restaurant; Larry comes from good stock, open and honest. That evening the Eucharist was clean and simple, always Christ. Becky and Wayne came over for supper on Thursday. Met Hugh in the Barnesville post office and afterward he helped me get the plywood over to his place. We got the boat covered with a huge tarp.

Importantly, am learning to do the Jesus Prayer with regularity, each morning about 6. The darkness is important. 100 slow knots and prostations. Two chokti arrived as did the votive candle for the icon shelf. Learning how to include the saints in my prayers, especially the Blessed Virgin Mary. Clearly more Orthodox. Jim Forest's book a big help, especially the collection of prayers.

Good movie: Under the Sun with subscripts. Tomorrow's Gospel, the wedding at Cana. Dan Clendenin says it well:

At Cana in Galilee Jesus filled and fulfilled the ancient promises of Judaism. He filled the empty pots used for ritual purity with wine used for secular celebration. He didn't merely announce a coming reign of God, or direct attention away from himself to some other. With the first of his "many miraculous signs" he demonstrated that somehow and in some unsurpassed manner he revealed the glory and character of God like no other. This friend of sinners, accused of being a glutton and drunkard, revealed a God of extravagant goodness and mercy.

11 January 2010

Crisp in the morning. Air tight. The ice in the cove is gathering thickness, extending itself to the cove mouth. Refueled the bird feeders and suet baskets. Right after getting out of bed, walked and coffeed with Joe, my tea-bagger (I spoze) friend. Later got off emails to Luckey, Renauc, and Debbie Berquist at VOH. Forest's Praying with Icons arrived. Am (at times) deepening the Prayer. For lunch ate outside: sardines with Hot Louisianna Sauce and a tumble of wine.

No need to go into any "to whom," but here's an excerpt from a note I sent to someone whom I consider more (never less) my spiritual director:

When we get together next, I would like for you to give me the straight stuff, Lutheran or not, about theosis. Currently thinking there’s more to it than in our Confessions allow. Mostly because I’ve been whacking my way through some Orthodox stuff, having gotten a good introduction by Christopher Pramuk in Sophia: The Hidden Christ of Thomas Merton who recommends large doses of Bulgakov and Evdokimov, neither of whom have I yet read. All of
which is getting me to this question: what does the Athanasian Creed when it affirms about Our Lord that “Although he is God and man, he is not divided, but is one Christ. He is united because God has taken humanity into himself; he does not transform deity into humanity (italics mine)? I’ve wondered about this understanding of the Incarnation for years and have lately found the assertion, if I understand it even a little rightly, to be the radicalest thing
theologically imaginable. So I need an early morning balcony talk at Marie’s in Port au Prince. I may bring the Sophia book with its underlinings to Haiti so that I don’t misparaphrase what I think I see Pramuk via Merton and several Russian Orthodox saying. Of course, if his/their/my musings are off base, you can simply declare the whole package heretical, and I’ll try to forget such explorations as uselessly speculative at best. Even if you go that far, I spose I’ll continue to be a heretic of some sort anyway. Always did like Origen.

This by Merton:

Sophia is God's sharing of himself with creatures. His outpouring, and the Love by which he is given, held and loved. She is in all things like the air receiving the sunlight. In her they prosper. In her they glorify God. In her they rejoice to reflect him. In her they are united with him. She is the union between them. She is the Love that unites them. She is life as communion, life as thanksgiving, life as praise, life as festival, life as glory . . . . She is the Bride and the Feast and the Wedding.

10 January 2010, First Sunday after Epiphany

A good Sunday, as all (and all days) should be. Feast of the Baptism of Our Lord, Theopahny. Pastor's sermon beautiful, saturated with the euangellion. I gave two “temple talks” before Eucharists and an hour-long SS chat with projected photos at St. John Lutheran Church, Griffin; all went well except for the first talk in which I found my tear ducts somehow strangely connected to my heart, and I had to sniffle and bawl my way through 4 of the 5 minutes. Not your usual tears of compunction, just too many memories of Haitian children by the roadsides. At any rate, I got through the SS thing without them seeing a 72-year-old fogey pathetically slobbering more than decorum allows. Somehow the Spirit managed to save the whole thing, and we may eventually have a few more Lutherans traipsing down to PAP sometime.

Grateful to Larry Schultz; he not only offered to take me to the airport on February 1, but also to loan me his camcorder so that I can record our interviews with Johnson, John-Smith, Andronic, and Stevenson in Port au Prince.

9 February 2010: Dunkelweizen!

Lots of the cove water is frozen. The mallards are having a hard time of it. The lake so low that some of the hill ridges at the mouth are poking themselves through, looking like a brown longish log caught in the ice.

Took a long, strong walk with Joe, Jeff, and Dick this morning; on the way, got to chat with Rolf.

Went to Covington for some cracked cord for the mourning doves who find it necessary to eat off the hardpack ground. When June and I returned from shopping in Covington, we found neighbor David down by the dock burning logs and brush. When he yelled up that he'd like for me to come down and share a beer, I told him to "Hang on!" Then I got the first cold bottle of Dunkelweizen out of the fridge, pour a bit into a glass and sipped. Shockingly good! Once down at the dock with a glass for sharing, David had his taste, pronounced it "as good any beer as I've ever had" (which is a good bit; no, a lot!), and together we enjoyed the first bottle. Even Mitzy enjoyed a sip. The Dunkel bears a warm brown-ale-like color with a creamy head, no dregs, no off-taste. Absolutely right! Am so damn proud of myself that I could drink and pee hour after hour. But not this afternoon. At 4 UK plays UGA at home in Lexington, a TV thriller. Then a beer, maybe.

8 February 2010

Contined house cleaning and finished up with the vacuuming. Am eager to taste the Dunkelweizen, but since Wednesdays and Fridays are my "Orthodox" fast days," I'll wait until tomorrow to take the first sipping. Instead of what I hope will be a glass of good beer, I'm pouring into myself all of Frederica Matthewes-Green's The Jesus Prayer: The Ancient Desert Prayer that Tunes the Heart to God. Better than any beer I or anyone can brew.

Morning and Evening Prayer during this Epiphanytide are lovely respites. We learn a new hymn, practice it before prayers, and then sing it at least two times in a row so that the words and melody come together. So grateful for the little electronic keyboard that Abigail gave us.

7 January 2010

Came home from the parish church too late to do anything with the house blessing last night, so today, after doing some winter house cleaning (ashes out of the fireplace, several loads of laundry, packing up the Christmas decorations for storage under the basement stairs, tidying up the study, and vacuuming), I got out the stepstool so that June could step up and mark the inside of the front door with 20+C_M+B+10 while I said the blessing. Then it was a march around all the rooms, even the bathrooms, laundry, and basement for more prayers and blessings. Went to bed tired, happy.