Grand Time

"Boating" by Édouard Manet

The wonderful painting by Manet is one of many that I saw when I visited the Houston Museum of Fine Arts exhibit of French paintings from the Metropolitan Museum in New York.

My friend from my college days invitied me to visit her in Houston. We had not seen each other for several years, so I decided to go and, while I was there, take in the exhibit. The Met in NYC can be overwhelming, so it was good to see a manageable number of their masterpieces at the HMFA. Lovely way to spend an afternoon, indeed.

Before leaving, I joked about going to the city of freeways that turn into giant parking lots. However, my friend lives in a charming older house in a beautiful neighborhood full of old-growth trees. We took several enjoyable walks through the neighborhood, and we drove through other attractive sections, at times driving under oak tree canopies. I came away with a much more positive impression of Houston after this visit.

It was good to see my friend again. Even after years of not seeing each other, when we get together, we can pick up where we left off. It's almost as though time has not passed.

We gathered for meals and interesting and stimulating conversation a couple of times with several of her lively, intelligent, and well-informed friends. For my meal at the Mexican restaurant, I ordered a Mexican omelet called Tortilla Azteca, which included strips of cactus as one of the ingredients. My first taste of cactus, and it was delicious!

My friend, if you read this, thank you for a grand time.

UPDATE: I have been informed that another name for my Mexican omelet is huevos con napales.

Anniversary

"Waterlilies" by Claude Monet

Today is the one-year anniversary of the death of my beloved sister, Gayle. You can read about her in this post from earlier this month. I talk about The Dillenkoffer Endowment, which a friend of hers set up to provide college scholarships for GLBT students in Missouri and Kansas.

Beneath a slide show of pictures of her at the scholarship site are the words, "Gayle's rich life on earth came to an end on April 27, 2006 after a four month fight with pancreatic cancer. Her grand spirit lives on in the lives of so many."

That's so very true.

I say this about her in my post, "She was a lovely person, and I miss her terribly still, as she was my closest confidante." It's true today, and I want to remember her and honor her.

About the scholarships, I said this, "I'm sure she looks upon this memorial with great delight."

May God give her rest in the light of his love.

May God bless all of us who loved her and give us healing and peace.

Local Marines Are headed to Iraq Soon

From the Times-Picayune in New Orleans by Paul Purpura:

Ordered to defend an area that has witnessed some of the fiercest fighting since the war in Iraq began four years ago, more than 350 Belle Chasse-based active-duty and reserve Marines are soon bound for the region, the Marine Corps confirmed Thursday.

"That's what they live for," said Command Sgt. Maj. Michael Sprague of Marine Air Group 42, Detachment C. "They enjoy playing in the game rather than practicing all the time. What it boils down to, if you join the Marine Corps in this day and age and you haven't deployed, you've got to expect to." (Bolding mine)

Posted without comment, except, "God bless them and keep them safe."

Riverbend Is Leaving Iraq

Riverbend, the Baghdad Blogger, and her family are leaving Iraq.

First she talks about the wall that is being built to separate the Sunnis and the Shias in Baghdad:

The Wall is the latest effort to further break Iraqi society apart. Promoting and supporting civil war isn't enough, apparently- Iraqis have generally proven to be more tenacious and tolerant than their mullahs, ayatollahs, and Vichy leaders. It's time for America to physically divide and conquer- like Berlin before the wall came down or Palestine today. This way, they can continue chasing Sunnis out of "Shia areas" and Shia out of "Sunni areas".

....

I remember Baghdad before the war- one could live anywhere. We didn't know what our neighbors were- we didn't care. No one asked about religion or sect. No one bothered with what was considered a trivial topic: are you Sunni or Shia? You only asked something like that if you were uncouth and backward. Our lives revolve around it now. Our existence depends on hiding it or highlighting it- depending on the group of masked men who stop you or raid your home in the middle of the night.

And her family's decision:

On a personal note, we've finally decided to leave. I guess I've known we would be leaving for a while now. We discussed it as a family dozens of times. At first, someone would suggest it tentatively because, it was just a preposterous idea- leaving ones home and extended family- leaving ones country- and to what? To where?

Since last summer, we had been discussing it more and more. It was only a matter of time before what began as a suggestion- a last case scenario- soon took on solidity and developed into a plan. For the last couple of months, it has only been a matter of logistics. Plane or car? Jordan or Syria? Will we all leave together as a family? Or will it be only my brother and I at first?

I knew it would come to this, if they survived, but it's not simple:

After Jordan or Syria- where then? Obviously, either of those countries is going to be a transit to something else. They are both overflowing with Iraqi refugees, and every single Iraqi living in either country is complaining of the fact that work is difficult to come by, and getting a residency is even more difficult. There is also the little problem of being turned back at the border. Thousands of Iraqis aren't being let into Syria or Jordan- and there are no definite criteria for entry, the decision is based on the whim of the border patrol guard checking your passport.

....

The problem is that we don't even know if we'll ever see this stuff again. We don't know if whatever we leave, including the house, will be available when and if we come back. There are moments when the injustice of having to leave your country, simply because an imbecile got it into his head to invade it, is overwhelming. It is unfair that in order to survive and live normally, we have to leave our home and what remains of family and friends… And to what?

It's difficult to decide which is more frightening- car bombs and militias, or having to leave everything you know and love, to some unspecified place for a future where nothing is certain.

God speed to you and your family, Riverbend.

"I'll meet you 'round the bend my friend, where hearts can heal and souls can mend."

Hat tip to Scout at First Draft.

Tripping Out - Again

Tomorrow, Friday, I'll be leaving for a long weekend visit with an old friend from my college days in that beautiful metropolis, Houston, Texas. Such vistas of freeways, those vast parking lots, surely a sight not to be missed.

The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, is hosting an excellent (or, so I hear) exhibit of French art on loan from the Metropolitan Museum in New York, which we plan to take in while I'm there. I'm looking forward to the visit, because it's been a while since I've seen my friend, and because I need to get away for a few days.

Since I don't own a laptop, I won't be posting again until Tuesday, except for a brief post tomorrow. I know you'll cry; I know you'll miss me terribly, but try to bear up. I won't be gone long.

Au revoir, mes amis!

Archbishop Williams Summers at Georgetown

According to Jim Naughton at the Episcopal Cafe, "The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Williams, will spend much of his summer sabbatical at Georgetown University sources in England and Washington confirmed today." Georgetown is a Jesuit university in Washington, DC, for those not in the know about this sort of thing, therefore the ABC will be in virtual Roman territory while he's there.

ABC Williams has previously spent time at Georgetown. He is a friend of the president of the university. According to Naughton, "Williams has not visited Episcopal churches during his previous visits, although he has held breakfast meetings with prominent local church leaders. He has refused numerous requests to participate in Episcopal Church events."

Well, we're simple former colonials, so I suppose I can understand that he would meet only "with prominent local church leaders". He is from the great mother country, the United Kingdom, after all, and we are mere states. Besides, if he visited Episcopal Churches, he might not like us, and then what?

Perhaps during his upcoming visit, he will not remain completely - shall we say - "closeted" for the entire time. We shall see.

Jim Naughton is an excellent and serious reporter on events in the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion, but I sometimes detect a trace of tongue-in-cheekiness in his reporting. Of course, I could be wrong.

Bill Moyers - Record Of War Lies

Tonight a Bill Moyers' Journal segment titled "Record Of War Lies" will air on many PBS stations. Check your local listings for times. We know of many of the lies already, but a refresher course is never out of order for a review of how we got into this war without end.

Judging by the reviews from folks who have seen the program, it appears to be extraordinary. Bill Moyers is a national treasure, another one of the good ones out of Texas, like the much-missed Molly Ivins.

Feast Day of St. Mark The Evangelist

From James Kiefer at The Lectionary:

The Apostle Peter had a co-worker whom he refers to as "my son Mark" (1 Peter 5:13). Papias, an early second century writer, in describing the origins of the Gospels, tells us that Mark was the "interpreter" of Peter, and that he wrote down ("but not in order") the stories that he had heard Peter tell in his preaching about the life and teachings of Jesus.

....

Mark's symbol in art is a Lion, usually winged.


From Isaiah 52:7

How beautiful upon the mountains
are the feet of the messenger who announces peace,
who brings good news,
who announces salvation,
who says to Zion, ‘Your God reigns.’


From The Gospel of Mark 1:9-14

In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. And a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.’

And the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. He was in the wilderness for forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels waited on him.

Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news* of God,* 15and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near;* repent, and believe in the good news.’


PRAYER

Almighty God, who by the hand of Mark the evangelist have given to your Church the Gospel of Jesus Christ the Son of God: We thank you for this witness, and pray that we may be firmly grounded in its truth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Just Because...

How precious is your steadfast love, O God!
All people may take refuge in the shadow of your wings.
They feast on the abundance of your house,
and you give them drink from the river of your delights.
For with you is the fountain of life;
in your light we see light.

Psalm 36:7-9

Imagine! We drink from the river of God's delights.

Meanderings

The members of my church, with the exception of a few, generally do not want to talk about the controversies swirling within the Episcopal Church and Anglican Communion. Since I don't care to push unwanted conversation upon others, I have found myself with few people to talk to about things that concern me in my own church.

Partially from a sense of frustration, and partially from a desire to lend a small voice in support of full inclusion in the life of the Episcopal Church for all its baptized members, I began to write this blog.

For quite some time, I had occasionally written long comments in response to posts on the blogs of others, taking up a good deal of space in their comments boxes. Lately, more and more often, I found that I was barred from commenting, unless I had a blog of my own, or, at the very least, a faux blog. The name I chose for my faux blog was available on Blogger, and once the blank space was there, I began to write. The rest, as they say, is history.

My blog has a small readership, and I seem to be preaching to the choir for the most part, but perhaps someone out there reads something here that leads them to think a little about the idea of inclusion within the church

Last week, Fr. Jake linked to a post by Mata H. in which she tells a beautiful story:

I have a friend whom I have known since we were both 16, who is a gay man, now 57. He is a brilliant professor and writer. We were chatting on the phone the other day and generally blathering on (as we do) about the condition of the world in general and America in specific. Out of the blue (because we have never discussed it) he said, "I really love the Episcopalians!"

Why does he "love the Episcopalians"?

"Because look at all those straight people putting -- of all things -- their church on the line in support of our right to a full life. Church people, straight people, standing up for us for the first time! It is wonderful, so hopeful!"

I don't know about you, but that warms my heart. It makes me feel that my small effort might do a bit of good.

Here are Mata's final words in her post:

Do not be discouraged, those of you in the Episcopalian or other churches who care about inclusion. Do not fear. Know that as you speak the words of inclusion, people you do not know, people who thirst for the gospel, people who have never seen courage like this -- well, those people are listening, and they are thankful. Those people are gay and straight, rich and poor, urban and rural -- they are the people outside your doors whose hearts will be touched progressively more deeply as your doors open progressively more widely.

If you do not think of me as an unlikely candidate to take up the cause of inclusion, well, think again. Or read my four part story which I link to on the sidebar, "Confessions Of A Recovering Homophobe". Or take my word for it; it's quicker.