God help us celebrate....

 

Martin Luther King day should bring joy, wonder and thanksgiving to our hearts.

But our current president (God help us!) is doing all he can to reduce both the appreciation and presence of people of color.

He wants museums to take out relics that recount events of racial awareness.

He wants to deport as many folks of Latin-American decent as possible--greatly hurting farmers and industries.

In southern West Virginia, my senior year of high school, 6 black students (3 male athletes and 3 seriously smart girls) joined my class. Up until then I'd never gone to school with people of color. The next year white and black schools were united.

That was 1965. Lots got better since then in racial matters, but some things have recently gotten worse.

Celebrate the life of Dr. King.

And pray God to bring true equality to our nation--True Equality....

 

I did it!

 

I ran out of windshield washer fluid the other day.

Weather being what it has been, my windshield was getting nasty.

I went to a gas station where I buy things and got some fluid.

Today I put it in--the whole big bottle went in--and it worked!

I almost went to English Auto who work on my car to get it since I am so incompetent about anything to do with my car.

But I didn't.

I bought fluid and found where to put it in.

I did it!

Yea, me.....

 

Some time off....

 

I haven't posted for a few days.

It doesn't mean I haven't been thinking, having opinions and tearing my hair out over the President.

I just haven't posted for a few days.

Every day seems to bring a new trick from Tumpy--take over Greenland, cut funding for student lunches, send more ICE agents to do more harm, on and on it goes....

We need to stand up to his autocracy and say "NO!!!" with all our might.

Pray God it's not too late.

Pray God Democracy can survive until the mid-term elections and that they will turn things around.

Pray....

 

I've gotten over it...

 

I felt bad about being so hard on vestries--all those I have served with over the years.

Maybe I've gotten over it a little.

It's like complaining about car engines.

Complain all you want--your car won't run without one.

And Episcopal Churches wouldn't run without Vestries.

So if you're a member of a vestry, be proud--you keep your church on the road! Yea, you!!!

(Hope that makes up some for my harshness yesterday....)

 

Vestry meetings might do it....

 

I know they are important--parishes have to take care of business.

I know all the members mean well--that's why they are there, to serve their parish.

What vestries do is vital to the church.

We need vestry meetings to keep the parish going.

But Vestry meetings might just do it for me--make me 'really' retire!

I sat through one today. I know it was necessary and  that all the members are doing their part.

But having been a part of vestry meetings for all these years, I may have had my fill.

I'm being unkind to vestries everywhere, I know.

I'll try to behave better about the meetings.

I'll try....

Really try....

 

Tommorow is the Baptism of Jesus

 

It comes tomorrow.

My sermon is about a conversation I had with my Zoom friends (Bern calls them 'the boys' since they are all male) about baptism.

But what I really talk about tomorrow is how the altar can lead to the font rather than the font leading to the altar.

As a priest, I'm supposed to only give communion to the baptized.

But in my long tenure as a priest I've never once refused to communion to the un-baptized.

And I've had over a dozen people ask to be baptized after they had tasted the Body and Blood.

It has always humbled me.

I feel the way John the Baptist felt in tomorrow's gospel when he tells Jesus that he (John) should be baptized by Jesus.

The font and the altar should be side-by-side.....

 

 

My Heart

 

I went to my Cardiologist today.

He's on Barnes Ave. in a neighboring town. Don't get me started on that--there are 4 different left turns for Barnes Avenue!

The last one I tried was right only after asking a policeman to direct me.

Barnes used to be all connected back in the farming days, but building other things broke it up. What a mess!

But my a-fig (whatever that is) is gone.

My blood pressure and cardiogram were great.

The doctor even patted me on the back for keeping my weight down--40 pounds less than when he saw me 4 years ago.

So my heart is fine for now.

And I have so many things in my heart that matter so much to me.

Lucky guy--me....