Here's The Church....

 

Here's the church
Here's the steeple.
Open the doors....

Well, the doors are closed, so you can't see all the people.

Bishop Leonidas Polk established St. John's Episcopal Church in Thibodaux, Louisiana, in 1843. In that same year he laid cornerstone for the building, and construction of the building was completed in 1844. What is now the narthex of the church was once an open porch with columns, but the porch was eventually closed in. It's one of the oldest Episcopal churches west of the Mississippi River.

Bishop Polk is also known as the fighting bishop. He was a graduate of West Point, and Jefferson Davis prevailed upon him to take a position as a commanding general in the Army of the Confederacy. He seemed not to have been a very good fighting general, but he cared for his troops well, and they grieved sorely when he was killed in Pine Mountain, Georgia, in 1864.



Above is a picture of the sanctuary, with the altar and the stained glass depicting St. John the Evangelist. If you click on the picture to enlarge it, you can see that a snake is rising up out of the cup that John holds. According to legend, John was handed a cup of poisoned wine by the emperor Diocletian, and when he blessed it, the poison came out in the form of a snake.

The altar was originally attached to the wall, but in the 1970s, it was moved forward to permit the priest to face the congregation during the celebration of the Eucharist.

The kneelers are in a fixed position halfway between up and on the floor, so that when you're kneeling, or trying to, your bum rests on the pew. I have heard it said that they were done this way to accommodate the hoop skirts worn by the ladies at the time the church was built. I've thought myself that it may simply be the chosen Via Media between kneeling and sitting during the services.

A complete restoration of the building, which cost the earth, was completed in 2001. I think that it's a lovely gem of a small church. In another post, I'll show more pictures of the interior and of the wonderful old restored pipe organ which we installed a few years ago.

The Feast of Pentecost

Restout, Jean II - "Pentecost" - 1732 - Musée du Louvre, Paris

THE COMING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

Psalm 118:21-24

I thank you that you have answered me
and have become my salvation.
The stone that the builders rejected
has become the chief cornerstone.
This is the Lord’s doing;
it is marvellous in our eyes.
This is the day that the Lord has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it.

John 16:4b-14

'But I have said these things to you so that when their hour comes you may remember that I told you about them.

‘I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you. But now I am going to him who sent me; yet none of you asks me, “Where are you going?” But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your hearts. Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will prove the world wrong about sin and righteousness and judgement: about sin, because they do not believe in me; about righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will see me no longer; about judgement, because the ruler of this world has been condemned.

‘I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own, but will speak whatever he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, because he will take what is mine and declare it to you.'

COLLECT

O God, who on this day taught the hearts of your faithful people by sending to them the light of your Holy Spirit: Grant us by the same Spirit to have a right judgment in all things, and evermore to rejoice in his holy comfort; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

READINGS

AM Psalm 118, PM Psalm 145
Deut. 16:9-12 ; Acts 4:18-21,23-33; John 4:19-26

Image from the Web Gallery of Art.

For All Who Mother - A Day Full Of Grace

Sandro Botticelli - "Madonna of the Book" - c. 1483 - Museo Poldi Pezzoli, Milan

Mary’s Song of Praise

And Mary said,
"My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour,
for he has looked with favour on the lowliness of his servant.
Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
for the Mighty One has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
His mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.
He has brought down the powerful from their thrones,
and lifted up the lowly;
he has filled the hungry with good things,
and sent the rich away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
according to the promise he made to our ancestors,
to Abraham and to his descendants for ever."

Luke 1:46-55

The idea of honoring mothers by honoring Mary, the mother of Jesus, comes from Lindy at Two Fruits In the Sukka. When Jesus told his mother, "Woman, behold your son!" and then told the disciple he loved, "Behold your mother!" I take that to mean that we are all included with the beloved disciple. She is our mother, too. We are her children. Jesus is our brother.

I can think of no better way to honor Mary than to quote her beautiful prayer of praise, "The Magnificat", the prayer that presents to us a view of the upside-down world that is the kingdom of God.

Lindy wishes not simply to honor mothers, as such, but to honor mothering, to honor all those who give and have given loving care, whoever they may be. It's a splendid idea, not Hallmarky at all. I join with her to honor mothering.

Lindy's post is lovely. It includes hymns, prayers and beautiful words of her own. I urge to click the link above to her site to see for yourself.

Image from the Web Gallery of Art.

Where Should I Live?

You Should Live in a Big City

You don't want anything in particular out of life... you want it all. You crave new and exciting experiences. And you get bored fairly easily. Only very big cities can keep you entertained and stimulated.

Where Should You Live?

Please! Tell me something I don't know. However, it's not true that I get bored easily. I'm almost never bored. No matter where I live, I have much to occupy myself. If I was bored easily, I'd be dead by now, from living in a small towns for over 40 years.

From Eileen via Paul.

The Day Before

Faithful churchgoer that I am, I ponder how the preachers will handle the coincidence of Pentecost and Mother's Day. I have no idea. Good thing I'm not a preacher. They most certainly won't ignore Pentecost. How will they tie the two together? Will they tie the two together?

Meanwhile my New Orleans pal, Oyster, at Your Right Hand Thief wants to know:

When did Mother's Day become Mother's Weekend?

Poor guy. He can't handle coddling Lovely, his dear wife, for a whole weekend. He's already worn out. I answered him in his comments:

Oyster, my friend, I love ya, but my word to you this weekend is, "SUCK IT UP!" Ya can't win this one.

Which is the perfect lead-in to this joke from Susan S.:

What Do You Do All Day?

A man came home from work and found his three children
outside, still in their pajamas, playing in the mud, with empty food boxes and
wrappers strewn all around the front yard.

The door of his wife's car was open, as was the front door to the house and there was no sign of the dog. Proceeding into the entry, he found an even bigger mess. A lamp had been knocked over, and the throw rug was wadded against one wall. In the front room the TV was loudly blaring a Cartoon channel, and the family room was strewn with toys and various items of clothing. In the kitchen, dishes filled the sink, breakfast food was spilled on the counter, the fridge door was open wide, dog food was spilled on the floor, a broken glass lay under the table, and a small pile of sand was spread by the back door.

He quickly headed up the stairs, stepping over toys and more piles of clothes, looking for his wife. He was worried she might be ill, or that something serious had happened. He was met with a small trickle of water as it made its way out
the bathroom door. As he peered inside he found wet towels, scummy soap and
more toys strewn over the floor. Miles of toilet paper lay in a heap and
toothpaste had been smeared over the mirror and walls. As he rushed to the bedroom, he found his wife still curled up in the bed in her pajamas, reading a novel. She looked up at him, smiled, and asked how his day went.

He looked at her bewildered and asked, 'What happened here today?'
She again smiled and answered, 'You know every day when you come
home from work and you ask me what in the world do I do all day?'

"Yes," was his incredulous reply.

She answered, "Well, today I didn't do it."

Of course, this joke one only works for the moms who don't have outside jobs, but you can project, because most working wives generally do these home chores along with their outside jobs. Before you guys bombard me, I know that there are men who are the exceptions, men who do pull their weight and that you are one of them.

Thought For The Day - Lambeth - Bishop Robinson

Although Bishop Gene Robinson will not be in the room during the bishops' meetings at Lambeth, he will, nevertheless, be a powerful presence by his very absence.

A Mother's Day Story

So, we had this great 10 year old cat named Jack who just recently died. Jack was a great cat and the kids would carry him around and sit on him and nothing ever bothered him. He used to hang out and nap all day long on this mat in our bathroom.

Well we have 3 kids and at the time of this story they were 4 years old, 3 years old and 1 year old. The middle one is Eli. Eli really loves chapstick. LOVES it. He kept asking to use my chapstick and then losing it. So finally one day I showed him where in the bathroom I keep my chapstick and how he could use it whenever he wanted to but he needed to put it right back in the drawer when he was done.

Last year on Mother's Day, we were having the typical rush around and try to get ready for Church with everyone crying and carrying on. My two boys are fighting over the toy in the cereal box. I am trying to nurse my little one at the same time I am putting on my make-up. Everything is a mess and everyone has long forgotten that this is a wonderful day to honor me and the amazing job that is motherhood.

We finally have the older one and the baby loaded in the car and I am looking for Eli. I have searched everywhere and I finally round the corner to go into the bathroom. And there sits Eli. Applying my chapstick very carefully to Jack's...rear end. Eli looks right into my eyes and says 'chapped.'

Now if you have a cat, you know that he is right--their little rear ends do look pretty chapped. And, frankly, Jack didn't seem to mind. And the only question to really ask at that point was whether it was the FIRST time Eli had done that to the cat's behind or the hundredth.

And THAT is my favorite Mother's Day moment ever because it reminds us that no matter how hard we try to civilize these glorious little creatures, there will always be that day when you realize they've been using your chapstick on the cat's rear.

Doug, of course.

Pentecost At Wenchoster

My word! I'm late in posting the news from the Pharisaios Journal of the Diocese of Wenchoster. The feast of Pentecost, or Whit Sunday, as they say "over there", is nearly upon us, and the bishop's column offers a preview of the exciting activities that will take place at the cathedral celebration of the feast day and opens a window into the excitement with which the bishop is anticipating his journey to Lambeth.

Hello! You know, I get very exsated before a jarney, end this forthcoming trip to Limbeth is no except-i-on. I know thet it is two months away, but I awlways start pecking arly for these things. I have drawn up a list, a little list, thet should stend me in good stead during may tame away: Wit weather vestments (well, it is July!), a spar mater, green Wellingtons (Cenon Pillover hes lent me har spar par), plinty of rugged underwar, end may Swiss Army pin-knife just in case. If any of you cen think of anything else I may kneed please lit me know.

We approach the great Day of Pintecost. Whit Sinday! May, what a spring joy! I will join the cwarboys at the top of the tar for the singing of the Whit Enthems – end we will awl be penting heavily. There are 412 stips, you know! Then orf to the Nane Bills to join the tenors end basses in the snug for a rind of Old Sheep Spittle. I will surely have to take a long nip thet afternoon.

Es we clean end prepar the green frontals for the long season ahead, may the Holy Spirt lead us into awl things – end show us the way home afterwards!

The Lawd bliss you!

+ Roderick Codpiecium

Are you with me in wanting to give a hearty "Hello!" back to Bishop Codpiecium after his cheery greeting? Sometimes I do, as I sit at my computer. I always go first to the bishop's column when I visit the site of the journal. The bishop's column and the always-wise words for the liturgical season from Mr. Grindle, the head verger, are my favorite features. It appears that Mr. Grindle has no special words for us this Pentecost. Perhaps he was too busy with preparations for the feast to have time to write.

While you're at the journal's site, be sure to explore the rich treasury of religious paintings, icons, pictures there.

The headquarters of the The Society for the Promotion and Inculcation of Theology, or SPIT, are situated at the cathedral. Here's the link to their most recent newsletter, from which I offer an excerpt from the spotlight article:

HEALING WITH SPIT (AND DIRT)

It has been suggested that the origins of S.P.I.T occurred when the healed blind men met each other. At first they were all excited about the miracle of sight that Jesus had given them, but as they talked about how Jesus had healed them, they began to discover some significant differences.

For some, the healing came with simply a touch from Jesus (Mt 9:29; 20:34). Another proudly boasted that he had enough faith so that Jesus didn't have to touch him to perform the miracle (Mk 10:52). Another meekly exclaimed that Jesus not only
touched him twice, but also "spit on his eyes" in order for him to see clearly (Mk 8:23). The final one really felt embarrassed to admit that even though a touch wasn't part of his healing, Jesus' "spit" wasn't enough. Jesus had mixed his saliva with dirt and put the mud on his eyes and then told him to go and wash in some pool of water (Jn 9:6-7). Since each one thought his healing was normal and better than the others, they divided into SPIT-ites and non-SPITites; muddites and non-muddites; touchites and non-touchites. Denominationalism was born.

Do read the entire article. If you're interested:

It is possible to enrol as an Affiliate member of SPIT. This commits you to nothing more than the promotion of SPIT thinking, and Affiliate members will receive no recognition of their affiliation whatsoever.


Images from the Pharisaios website.

UPDATE: From Susan S. in the comments comes a link to the Cathedral Film Society's program:

The Cathedral Film Society meets every Friday at 7.30 p.m. at the Bijou Film Theatre, Wenchoster. The programme for the Easter takes “Resurrection” as its theme.

“Arsenic and Old Lace”, “Murder most foul”, “4.50 from Paddington”, Blade Runner” and “Jean de Florette/Manon des Sources”.

Members: £5.00, Non-members: £7.50

Entry includes a glass of Pimm’s, a cucumber sandwich and a tub of toffee popcorn.

Visitors may join the Society at any performance.


Canon Augustus Dewdrop MA

Canon Precentor

About The Weapons From Iran

From Tina Susman at the Los Angeles Times Blogs site:

There was something interesting missing from Maj. Gen. Kevin Bergner's introductory remarks to journalists at his regular news briefing in Baghdad on Wednesday: the word "Iran," or any form of it. It was especially striking as Bergner, the U.S. military spokesman here, announced the extraordinary list of weapons and munitions that have been uncovered in recent weeks since fighting erupted between Iraqi and U.S. security forces and Shiite militiamen.
....

A plan to show some alleged Iranian-supplied explosives to journalists last week in Karbala and then destroy them was canceled after the United States realized none of them was from Iran. A U.S. military spokesman attributed the confusion to a misunderstanding that emerged after an Iraqi Army general in Karbala erroneously reported the items were of Iranian origin.

When U.S. explosives experts went to investigate, they discovered they were not Iranian after all.

Whoops! Oh well. It's understandable. Mistakes are made. It's like the weapons of mass destruction that were not there. Who could have known?

Numbers In Army Stop-Loss Program Increase

From the Los Angeles Times:

WASHINGTON -- The number of soldiers forced to remain in the Army involuntarily under the military's controversial "stop-loss" program has risen sharply since the Pentagon extended combat tours last year, officials said Thursday.
....

The Army has resorted to involuntary extensions of soldiers' enlistment terms to prevent them from leaving immediately before a combat tour or in the middle of a deployment.

Army officials have argued that the policy is necessary to ensure that they are not forced to send inadequately trained soldiers and unprepared units into war.

However, many soldiers subjected to the stop-loss policy consider it a backdoor draft. Critics argue that once soldiers have completed the enlistment period they agreed to, they should be allowed to return home. The involuntary retention program is so unpopular that it helped inspire a recent movie called "Stop-Loss."
....

Between 2002 and 2007, 58,300 soldiers were given stop-loss orders, forcing them to remain in the service past the end of their enlistment periods.

A mere trifle of a number, surely.

I was going to write a leisurely post about the latest Jane Austen movie, but my blog and newspaper reading led me astray.