yesterday, now, and soon

Pausing on a Monday morning so Time doesn't move so fast, I'm starting with a lot of notes in mind, probably only a third or so I'll be able to hold in mind.

Morning walk in Harbour Village park and stopping under the pavilion for breakfast, a bottle of water and a liverwurst and cheese sandwich with mayo on Pepperidge Farm's very thin whole wheat bread. A lifelong favorite. I buy my liverwurst at Grocery Outlet just up Beck Avenue, which I can see from the window in my study office den here in 7H.

Might as well get the food thoughts down while they're on the surface. Saturday bought a couple of smoked pork butts at Grocery Outlet and later tore them to shreds for our contribution to Sunday's festive meal at HNEC's Rally Day and Blessing of the Backpacks, always one of our most fun events of the year. 

Although, Holy Nativity is blest with lots of children, which makes nearly every Sunday a fun occasion. If you prefer quiet worship, there are lots of other churches around, including other Epsikopuls; Holy Nativity is where the Holy Spirit speaks through the voices and antics of children all around. "Let the children come unto me and forbid them not for of such is the kingdom of heaven."  

Saturday after visiting Malinda at Pruitt, the three of us went to El Weirdo, in the first block down Oak Street from Harrison Avenue, next to Something's Cookin' Downtown. 

I had a small order of Brussels sprouts: excellent and brought some home for later. In recent years, somebody turned America upside down by making Brussels sprouts a trendy favorite on restaurant menus. Ours were good before that because our Chef Ray Kelly knew how to make them special, one Thanksgiving Ray brought Brussels sprouts roasted and served in brown gravy, and they replaced the turkey and even my oyster dressing as the piece de resistance at our table. All my growing up years before that, Brussels sprouts were always boiled or steamed, nasty little green things eaten with great solemnity, suffered as penance, part of getting your sins forgiven. Nowadays they are choice!

My other item at El Weirdo was the "shroom taco," which was interesting and good. A little wedge of lime to squeeze on top. I nearly always order a mushroom dish if there's one on the menu. El Weirdo has two mushroom items on their menu, I've enjoyed one, next Time I'll order the other one; and the sprouts again. And there was no wait for the food: we ordered at the counter, filled our water glasses, sat down at our table, and looked up as our food came our way. 

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Most every Sunday I bring the worship bulletin home, thinking to blog about something, one of the hymns, one or another of the Proper readings, and don't get round to doing that. But Hebrews 11:1f, "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. ... By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was made from things that are not visible." With that, and our opening hymn, "Earth and all stars," and Eucharistic Prayer C, "God of all power, Ruler of the Universe, ... At your command all things came to be: the vast expanse of interstellar space, galaxies, suns, the planets in their courses, and this fragile earth, our island home. By your will they were created and have their being. From the primal elements you brought forth the human race ... ." What splendid liturgy planning and execution, a lovely package, I thoroughly enjoyed and appreciated it. The final semester of my senior year, at Virginia Theological Seminary I took a course, "Liturgy as Art," and along with training under the extraordinary rector at our Pennsylvania parish, I tried to make it so all my years as parish priest. Yesterday's liturgy was exceptional, well done. And the children's zoo, exceeding even our Holy Commotion on Christmas Eve, elevated our Sunday worship beyond perfection. 

Not to mention, but not to forget my going in thought, that the Hebrews verse, "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen" is my standing scriptural bulwark against the absurdity of literalist certainty in religion. "In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth," for example, "and the Earth was without form, and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved over the face of the waters, over churning chaos. And God SAID, 'Let there be ... " And it was so. Ties in with the Prologue to Gospel John, "In the beginning was the Logos (Word), and the Word was with God, and the Wore WAS God . . . All that is came into being through the Word." My theology as Christian and sometime amateur astronomer admits that The Beginning, the Big Bang, was not a single moment, but a long Time of God speaking (Logos, the Word) creation into existence; in the case of our Universe starting some 13.8 billion Earth years ago, continuing, including through Earth some 4.5 billion years ago (Earth years), and life on Earth from a single cell in the ocean some 3.5 to 3.8 billion years ago. God is never in a hurry. Look out into the Heavens and allow the immensity of the Lord your God: baruk ata, Adonai Eloheinu, Melek ha-olam, shehekeyanu. ... who gives life, and sustains us, and has brought us to this Time. Don't let your God be too small. Don't confine your God to the limits of your imagination or to the boundaries of your religious certainties.

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I'll soon start fooling with a sermon for when I'm to supply while half the congregation is away on Shell Island Sunday, the Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost, September 14, which triples as Proper 19 Year C, Holy Cross Day, and My Ninetieth Birthday. It will be a test of God's will for a doddering old priest plodding through extreme old age, trying to climb up into the pulpit, and down from, nomesane? 

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But first and now, working on my "commentary reading" discussion of Mark's gospel in Dr Dan's 9:15 to 10:15 adult Sunday school class between worship services at Holy Nativity. My course in Mark is to start September 7. I'll skip September 14 because of Shell Island Sunday, then resume September 21 for several Sunday morning sessions. As I do with my sermons, these classes will be printed here on my +Time page, linked on Facebook immediately afterward, and I'm considering publishing my notes ahead of Time so people who plan to attend can see what we'll be talking about. 

Looking forward to it, and I'd be open to doing something similar once a year to give Dr Dan a break, in future years, provided that's not taken as a nonagenarian priest tempting the Lord thy God. Knock on wood, hoping the Evil Eye is not watching, and wishing me long years, eh? 

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What else? We love our new kitchen, it's light, white, and brightens up all of 7H. Maybe I'll post a picture of it one of these days.

Monday, looking forward to the Day.

RSF&PTL

T89&c

pic: HNEC, children singing at anthem Time yesterday's 10:30 service