Church today...

..went well. Great Trinity hymns and a Mozart postlude that made it sound like Michael had three hands!

Heat on in the car all the way there!

Tomorrow is June and the last few days felt like March.

When is Spring coming to Connecticut?

We'll probably go straight to summer.

Several people told me stories about how my sermon on the Trinity applied to their lives.

That kind of stuff makes 2 years at Harvard Divinity, 2 years at Virginia Seminary and a year at Hartford Seminary worth it.

3 degrees (MTS, MDiv and Dr of Ministry) don't mean much if you can't touch peoples lives in your words.

I must admit, though I never dreamed of being an Episcopal priest, I'm glad I am.

That makes the day worthwhile.

 

The Holy (and 'wholly' mysterious) Trinity

 Sunday is Trinity Sunday.

I dread it every year!

Even though the 'doctrine of the Trinity' is something we have to embrace to be Christian, I find it hard to understand.

(That's not unusual--I find lots of stuff about the Christian faith to be difficult to understand....Even though I'm an Episcopal Priest!)

3 in 1 and 1 in 3 isn't math that I comprehend.

I try in my sermon to clear things up--not well, by the way!

You are one person to your family, another person to  your friends and yet another person to strangers.

Not good enough.

Your mother brought you into being, protected you from harm and gave you guidance on how to be an adult.

3 in 1 and 1 in 3.

Still not enough for me.

But what the hell! Why understand it, just rejoice in it!

Our God is OUR GOD!

That should be enough....

Happy Trinity Sunday....

Ouch!!!

 I went to the peradontist today (that's probably not how to spell it) and he cut into my gum, inserted something and gave me two stitches. 

I feel like some George Floyd or some boxer hit me in the mouth.

As the numbing wears off, it hurts more.

Plus, it's still bleeding a bit.

He told me to put tea bags, wet, onto the wound. I've been doing that though I had to go to Big Y to get tea bags--we don't have any.

Now, to my surprise, my regular dentist will put the implant in.

This has taken 6 months, at least and will be a few weeks more.

I've left our my dental thing that puts a tooth in the hole (# 8 if you're a dentist).

But he told me it used to take over a year.

Why did I decide to do this in the first place?

I don't remember.

His office is on Chapel Street in New Haven. We lived there for 4 years--on that street next to St. Paul's Church, where I was Rector.

But that was over 30 years ago and I didn't have any idea where I was when driving there.

We forget things, I know, but New Haven looked like Pluto to me today.

Getting old is not a ton of fun....

 

A bit off center

 Memorial Day felt like Sunday so I didn't realize it was Tuesday when I got up at 9 a.m.!

9 a.m.--do you sleep that late? I don't either. Memorial Day and being with 40 people at the birthday party wore me out.

So, I forgot my face-time with 'the boys' as Bern calls them--accurately I might add. No women on the screen.

Tried to get on and was told there was a problem.

Alas and alack!

No Tuesday morning talk with my brother-in-law, the only non-Episcopalian on the call (he's a RC priest) or any of the others.

There would have been talk about the Clergy Conference last week--which I didn't attend.

Good grief, I'm an old man, I don't need to be around a bunch of priests for two days!

So, today has slipped away on me. But I'm making dinner as I do on Tuesday--a big salad with lots of stuff on it.

That, at least, I'll get done today....

Memorial Day

 Today's the day to honor those who fought in wars to keep our country free.

My father (God rest his soul) was in General Patton's army in WW2. He lived through it and I was born when he came home.

He never talked about his years of service. He must of saw things that troubled him deeply.

Our 'president' is having people fight on the White House lawn today.

Memorial Day is a day of peace not fighting.

We're going to an old friend's birthday party today.

That seems an appropriate way to honor those who fought in horrible wars for our freedom.

On line I saw our 'president' standing around flags. One had 48 stars instead of 50 and the other had 11 stripes instead of 13.

Is there no one around him that could see those mistakes and help him avoid them?

I'm afraid not.

Very afraid not....

Have a great day and thank God for those who risked and those who lost their lives to keep us free.

My Dumb Phone

 I used to have a 'smart' phone--but it was smarter than me and I never figured out how to use it very well.

So, I left it behind and got a flip-phone, which no one could consider smart in any way.

I believe I could enable it to receive messages, but I've never tried. All I can do is call and be called. If I don't answer, the number that called me comes up and I can call back or not.

Bern does all sorts of stuff with her 'smart' phone. She reads emails, goes on line to look stuff up and even has whatever they call it when you talk to someone and you can see each other.

I much prefer my dumb phone.

I'd even like to be 'phone-less' (which you might call 'phone-ey') but I don't discard my flip.

About once a month I get a call that I am glad to get.

All the other times it's someone trying to get money or make me enroll in something.

When I answer those calls I say, "you're a recording...let me get my recorded voice to talk with you" and they hang up.

A couple even answer, 'there might be something wrong with my mike but I'm a real person."

And I say, "Real Person, whats 5 times 7?"

And they hang up.

That may make me 'dumb' enough to deserve a 'dumb phone'....

dithyramb

 That's actually a word.

"Dithyramb" means 'a wild hymn to the god/godess of wine'.

I sent it as a joke to some folks from the church I serve.

I included the musician.

I thought I'd ask him for a 'wild hymn' for next Sunday.

Dumb thing I do.

I do do dumb things.

Alas and alack.

Betwixth and between.

Yea and Nay.

Stuff like that.

Sing a dithyramb and have a glass of wine....

I hate A.I.!

 Everything I hear about Artificial Intellegence makes me a little crazy.

It seems to be creeping into our lives in ways we don't even know.

For all you know A.I. could be writing this blog!

Not beyond it's capability.

That's the problem--nothing seems beyond it's capability.

We should all be worried.

I'm starting the SHUT DOWN A.I. movement.

Want to join.

I hate A.I.!

Totally.

What's wrong with Human Intellegence?

Except that H.I. created A.I.

God help us!

Really.....

Could we be so lucky?

Much is being made of our President's health--physical and mental.

Some are suggesting he could be removed from office under the Constitution.

I hesitate to wish illness on anyone--but I wouldn't want him to die, just get so sick he had to go to some expensive nursing home in Florida and live to hear all about what people have to say about his time in office.

That's mean, I know. But being a little mean doesn't ruin our democracy--he might!

Just wishin' and hopin'....

 

ticking off the days....

 Two mistakes today.

First, I left the freezer open after getting ice for my coffee in the morning.

Now there is a note on the freezer warning me to make sure it's shut.

Then, Bern talked about putting the air conditioner in our bedroom and I told her I'd help.

She then detailed how I not only couldn't help, I'd get in her way.

Guess she told me.

Sometimes I feel like I'm ticking off the days until I go to the old folks home.

Some days I'm fine.

Others I'm not.

I still go to the store and fix dinner twice a week.

Two out of seven isn't an MVP average.

Tick...tick...tick....

Warm Monday

I woke up at 6:30 am, really early for me. I finished a novel I was reading in bed and tried to go back to sleep and couldn't.

Monday turned out to be warm. It's 80 or so. Tomorrow is supposed to get to 90.

I complain so much about the cold that I know better to complain about heat--you can't have it both ways is what I think.

So, if it were 130 degrees in the shade I wouldn't complain out loud.

Truth is, I'd like it to be 65-70 year round!

Bern thought the Library was going to be closed for a week so I went and checked out so many books I could hardly carry them.

But when I asked a librarian she told me they were changing out the computers and you'd have to check out books the old fashion way rather than on one of the machines.

Well, I have enough to read for a while.

Reading takes up most of my time--besides playing Hearts on-line.

I don't watch TV until 7 pm weekdays for Jepordy (however it's spelled!) I watch a bit of news but our President (it shouldn't be a capital 'P' for him) ruins that most days.

So, welcome Monday! Glad to be around for you....

 

Church today

 It all went well.

Great hymns, open front door, good readers, wondrous coffee hour (the strawberry desert was great!)

I even got away with my sermon.

But I looked around at the crowd and only saw 5  people who I think are younger than me.

I pass a Evangelical church called Cornerstone in Cheshire on my way to I 84. They have four services and a huge parking lot. On the way up they're having their first service and the lot is packed. On my way back the third service is ending and two policeman are there to clear the lot.

What are they serving up?

I should go and talk to them and see what I can discern.

(I may have posted about Cornerstone Church before--I'm a bit obcessed by their crowds.)

Bet they don't have Eucharist....

 

Best Dog Ever

 I don't remember her name when we got her from the rescue group, but she showed fear when we said it, so we called her BRIGIT.

And she is the best dog ever!

Well, except when she barks....

She didn't bark for a couple of years, but she must have 'felt at home' and started barking.

Barking to let us know someone is on our porch is not the problem.

The problem is, we eat dinner in the TV room, She gets a little from Bern's plate but since Bern eats faster than I do, when I finish she starts barking, wanting scraps.

I figured out a solution and it's worked so far.

Bern gets up to leave and I get up as well. I walk to the door to the hallway and either give Bern my plate or carry it down.

Brigit doesn't bark, but follows us and gets a treat from my plate while we're cleaning up the kitchen.

Seems to work.

And restores her 'best dog ever' title....

At Big Y

I was checking out with things for dinner (my turn today!) and heard someone behind me answer their phone and said what sounded like "Hey, Bern!"

I turned around and a man was getting a soft drink out of the cooler and looked just like my son, Josh.

I almost said, "What are you doing here?" when the man turned toward me and had a brown, turning gray beard.

It wasn't Josh, no matter what I had thought, and why would Josh have said 'Bern' instead of 'Mom'?

If I keep seeing my long-dead father on the back deck and my son at Big Y I may have to evaluate my senses a bit.

Maybe the cool, rainy May is a time for seeing what isn't there.

I'll keep my eyes open....

 

Writing my sermon

I wrote my sermon for this coming Sunday today. It's about stories of the resurrected Jesus.

I'm not comfortable writing about the resurrected Jesus because I've never met someone who was dead that was alive again.

Until recently....

I went out on our back porch at dusk to smoke a cigarette--yes, I smoke, get over it!--and saw my father sitting in one of the deck chairs.

My father has been dead for decades and I was both horrified and fascinated to see him.

My heart almost stopped--or beat faster--I'm not sure which.

I turned on the porch light and put on my glasses and saw the various things on our deck and deck railings that made me think it was my father.

Seeing a dead person alive doesn't compute.

It explains why the disciples were so confused by the resurrected Jesus.

They knew it was him, BUT....stuff like that doesn't happen.

We all need to keep our eyes open and our hearts ready to see proof of the Resurrected Jesus in our lives.

Keep looking.

Keep looking.

Then, keep on looking....

 

Don the Dunce

When falling asleep on camera in the middle of a meeting is only a minor one of many offenses, you know you're in trouble.

Our President (it took all my courage just to type that!) is always starting useless wars, insulting women reporters--calling them 'stupid' or worse--getting facts wrong and saying gas is cheap and he 'doesn't think about the financial plight of Americans.

What can be done?

We're on tract to either oligarchy or financial ruin.

Where's the 25th Amendment?

I think it should be tried....

Or else we have 2 1/2 years of chaos left....

That can't go well. 

Mother's Day

 I got Bern a flower arrangement, white chocolates and a card.

She doesn't like white chocolates--so I got them!

Got her some chocolate chocolates when I went to pick up fish and chips for dinner.

Sent emails to my daughter and my soon to be ex-daughter in law. (Don't ask, I'll explain another time.)

Not a very busy day, but I am so lucky to have met her in Latin class when I was a Senior and she was a Freshman in high school.

She hasn't 'made' my life--she 'is' my life....

Happy Mother's Day to those out there in blog land.

 

Sitting around....

No church tomorrow. I'll miss not being there. Morning Prayer by one of the laity. I hope it goes well.

When I don't have church I'm just sitting around wishing I did have it.

I've mentioned that I don't 'go to church' except when I'm celebrating Eucharist. I feel bad about that, but not bad enough to 'go to church'.

So, Sunday is like most days when I'm off.

Just sitting around. Reading David Rosenfelt's books. Playing 'hearts' on my computer. Watching a little TV.

Like I said--just 'sitting around'....

 

Rain and Shine

 Today was one of those days. Rain and then Sun and then rain with the sun shining.

Still a little cool for May--but I'm chilly in August!

No church this week. A long weekend of rest.

Got to get Bern a card and flowers for Mother's Day.

Obviously I don't have much to say--didn't sleep well, as I promised in my last post!

Hopefully tonight I'll snooze well....

It's hard to sleep at night

It is hard to sleep with DJT in the White House (minus the East Wing!)

The war, gas prices, cutting health care, hurting the poor, bragging about a Ball Room that isn't there (and shouldn't be!) and all the other stuff this crazy administration is doing.

My Dad was a life-long Republican. If he were alive today he wouldn't recognize the party he spent his votes on.

We can hope for the mid-terms even with all the rush to re-district on both sides. But there is a long way back to 'normal' in our land.

Hard to sleep at night?

You bet....

 

Catching up is hard to do

 A lot has happened since I was sure people could see my blog.

I had my gall bladder removed after 3 short stays in the hospital. But that gave me a hernia, which the surgeon tried to fix a week ago. I see him today to get his opinion. I have two burns and a massive bruise on my side. I hope he will explain how that happened!

I went to church Sunday and preached about 'the mystery of the Trinity', which is a mystery to this day. One in three and three in one--go figure.

I've done ok recovering from the surgery but am tired a lot.

I have this Sunday off.

I realized I'm still doing priest stuff at 79 (had a birthday April 17!) because otherwise I won't go to church.

Hard to admit that a priest wouldn't go to church if not celebrating.

But now it's out there and I'll keep preaching til I fall over doing it....

Be well and stay well. More later....

I've been writing...

 I've been writing my blog and noone is seeing it.

Just now I found this.

Is this it?

Can you read it?

Let me know.

Thanks, Jim

It'a been quite a while...

 I lost my blog for months. I think Bern somehow got it back.

We shall see.

Let me know if you read this.

Very cold, very sunny...

 

If you just looked out the window behind my computer, you would think "what a nice sunny day".

But if you go downstairs and out on our back porch you better have a hat, gloves and a big coat--a scarf wouldn't hurt.

It's almost 4 p.m. and the temperature is about 15 degrees.

It's sunny and cold all at once.

Weather says the cold is with us for a few days.

Bundle up. Stay warm. Admire the sun out a window....

 

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....

 

Take out the trash/make a salad

 

Tuesday is a sort of busy day.

From 9:45 until 11 I'm on a zoom meeting with friends and colleagues in ministry.

I have to take out the trash.

I have to make a large salad for dinner.

All of that should translate into improving life.

Friends and colleagues are obvious--we need human interaction even if it's on a computer to keep our thoughts and goals on track.

But we should also take the trash out of our minds--things we don't need to ponder, things that scare us and hold us back, things that turn good-work into no-so-good.

And we should make a salad of our lives every day. Slice up and add those things we need to get done, things we've forgotten, things in the back of the refrigerator of our mind and heart.

And dress it all with hope and wonder and love.

Take out the trash, beloved.

And enjoy your salad....

 

Grandmaw Jones

 

Looking in a drawer for something else, I came upon a photo of my Grandmaw Jones. (I know my computer doesn't like the spelling of her title, but that's the way I said it in my youth!)

She lived up on a long hill in Conglentown, West Virginia, across a dirt road from my uncle and aunt's house.

She had an outhouse, which I thought of today when I went to the bathroom at Trinity Church and found the heat wasn't turned on in there. At least in the outhouse, old bowel movements warmed things up a tad.

Her name was Lina Manona Sadler Jones.

The picture I found looked like a school picture, but she was at least 80 in the photo, so I don't know what it was from.

She was a great cook and a great Grandmaw.

At the end of her life she lost some of her sensibility and was out wandering around when aunts and uncles and cousins found her.

I miss her even now, all these years later.

Maybe I'll see her again if there is a heaven when we die....

I hope so....

 

Kindness and Generosity

 

Bern when to the grocery store this morning and was checked out for over $80 when she realized she had forgotten her purse.

She asked the clerk to set it aside and she'd go home ("I live close to here....") to get her credit card.

But the man behind her said, 'I'll pay for it.'

Bern told him she'd only be a few minutes but he insisted and paid for her groceries.

She told him, "I'll pass it on...."

And he replied, "I know you will".

The kindness and generosity of that total stranger was enough to thrill Bern to her inner being.

She almost cried when she told me about it.

Nothing is like kindness and generosity--we need more and more and much more of that in our world.

Be kind.

Be generous.

It will make a big difference....

 

 

 

2026 begins

 

The year began 'cold' here in CT.

The warmest temperature yesterday was 21 at 9 a.m. It went down every hour from then!

We didn't watch the 'ball drop'. We never do.

Did watch some football--Go Indiana!

Still cold today and more football to watch.

Hope your year started well and gets better.

2026, for goodness sake!

Time flies when your having fun--or even if you're not....