About this time twenty-eight years ago, we were looking forward to our move from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania to Apalachicola, Florida. We were packing up and, seeing that we would be moving from our larger three-story house on the bank of the Conodoguinet Creek into the much smaller rectory of Trinity Episcopal Church, we were deciding what to take with us and what not, giving away things, trying to get organized.  Each summer for years, Linda and her mother had been going to Highlands, North Carolina, to participate in a week long oriental flower arranging seminar at the Stone Lantern, an oriental shop established and owned by Ralph DeVille more than half a century ago. And they were heading off to that, returning the Sunday before our departure for Florida. Joe was in the Army, Malinda was working at a nursing home in Harrisburg and not moving to Florida with us. It would be Linda and me and Tass, who was twelve at the time and looking forward to seventh grade at Apalachicola ...

For Christmas one year when we were living in Apalachicola, my mother gave me two fig trees, little fellows, to plant in the rectory yard there. By the time we left in September 1998 they were both fairly good size, and producing; but being reluctant to leave them, I dug up one and brought it home with me. There was already one fig tree here, that had been giving me July morning happiness since Navy days, being home on leave during early July long ago back into the 1970s, perhaps the sixties.  Typically, the fruit is ready to pick the first week or so of July, and a great breakfast is walking round a fig tree, picking and eating. My experience, probably imagination but no matter, is that walking round and round a large fig tree slowly, eating and picking as I go, gives time for more to ripen before I get back to that spot.   The fig tree we brought home from Apalachicola was planted near the other one on the west side of the house, a sunny spot. But in 2002 we ex...

Sabbath is to relax and take it easy, look outside, 68F, clear, reasonable humidity. Truly it is a beautiful day. Thinking about cars will be my sabbath rest. Outside is a light colored Buick Regal sedan  beside it, a red Buick station wagon, both with the trademark Buick front grill, all plastic these years instead of metal chrome. The classic Buick grill goes back to the 1938 Buick Y concept car  that would have been an astonishing contrast to the 1938 Buick then in showrooms and on the street.  A hint of the Buick Y grill showed up the next year on the 1939 Buick as a sign of things to come,  then disappeared for 1940 and 1941,  but returned-to-stay on the 1942 Buick that was short-lived when all automobile production stopped because the industry shifted to production of war materials immediately after Pearl Harbor. The to-become-classic grill returned on the 1946, '47, '48 models and, with various changes...

It’s A Gift: Title Passes to the Recipient Psalm 19 THE heavens declare the glory of God; * and the firmament showeth his handy-work. 2 One day telleth another; * and one night certifieth another. 3 There is neither speech nor language; * but their voices are heard among them. 4 Their sound is gone out into all lands; * and their words into the ends of the world. 5 In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun; * which cometh forth as a bridegroom out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a giant to run his course. 6 It goeth forth from the uttermost part of the heaven, and runneth about unto the end of it again; * and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof. 7 The law of the LORD is an undefiled law, converting the soul; * the testimony of the LORD is sure, and giveth wisdom unto the simple. 8 The statutes of the LORD are right, and rejoice the heart; * the commandment of the LORD is pure, and giveth light unto the eyes.9 The fear of the LORD is clean, and en...

For the upcoming Sunday, our Old Testament lesson in Lectionary Track One (which runs the OT in series, instead of in anticipation of the Gospel reading as in Track Two) is from First Samuel, the anointing of David the shepherd boy as king. The psalm that follows is then meant to respond to the OT reading in some way, sometimes clearly and obviously, perhaps more often somewhat abstrusely. For this Sunday, Proper 6, Lectionary Year B, the psalm is beautifully tailored to the story of David’s anointing. 20   Exaudiat te Dominus 1 May the L ORD answer you in the day of trouble, *     the Name of the God of Jacob defend you; 2 Send you help from his holy place *     and strengthen you out of Zion; 3 Remember all your offerings *     and accept your burnt sacrifice; 4 Grant you your heart's desire *     and prosper all your plans. 5 ...

email Two or three years ago, an email arrived “from a retired bishop” saying that he and his wife were in some African country, where they had been visiting a crippled children’s hospital, but they were stuck there and couldn’t leave because their airline tickets and money and IDs had been stolen, and please send money to help them get home. The email address was just slightly “off” enough to give away that it was a fraud.  Foolishly perhaps, but nevertheless I began exchanging emails with the sender, saying I was sorry about the problem, asking for details of where to send the money, and asking for pictures of the children so that we could help the children too. I also started addressing the sender as “Chuck and Nan,” as though we were very familiar and friendly with each other; and the sender picked up on that, said Nan is fine but needs me to send the money, and signed his email Bishop Chuck.  The sender got more and more frantic in his requests for the money...

The Joke’s On Me Ah, Linda may chide me for several days of not writing something spiritual, something religious. Been thinking religious though. Starting with reading our Scripture that the Lectionary for Year B prescribes for the upcoming Sunday. Cogitating that on Sunday mornings we read more Scripture than anyone listens to -- an Old Testament reading, a psalm, an Epistle reading, and a Gospel reading. We don’t really have to do all that, the prayer book rubrics say that we may read one or two lessons, and the psalm is optional; if there is Holy Communion we always hear a Gospel reading. So contemplating this reminded me that our Bible reading tradition comes from Jewish synagogue tradition of hearing two readings: a reading from the Law and a reading from one of the Prophets.  Which took me to a favorite Jewish website to see what the Torah readings are for this week and for Shabbat, June 26, 2012 (Sivan 26, 5772). Read the readings there, Numbers 13:1 through 15:41 ...