A View From the Porch

It's been a while...

2011-01-10T15:42:00.000-08:00

Hello dear ones :)

I've been rather dismembered of late, between moving cross-country (we are safely arrived and making our new home truly ours,and truly home)and writing and leading a parish (wonderful place--no more perfect than any other human institution, but a gracious and grace-filled gathering for all that.)

The answer to dismemberment is, of course, to be re-membered. Anamnesis. The antidote to amnesia. I hope to be more intentional writing here, if only for my own discipline. I hope to hear from you all from time to time--comments, thoughts?

Grace and peace,
P

Final New Jersey Edition

2010-08-24T09:33:00.000-07:00

Dear Ones,

As I write these words, a team of movers is loading all my earthly possessions on a truck, shortly to depart for Augusta, Georgia. I can’t help but feel a little melancholy, even as I look forward to the next chapter in my own story. But I would be foolish and churlish indeed to not say what remains to be said.

Thank you. For seven years of friendship and kindness and support. For wonderful memories that will last a lifetime. For fabulous music of all kinds, from high Anglican Mattins, to double-choir polyphony, to down-low blues and jazz and gospel—and much of it in the same building!

For sharing your lives with me—at home, at church, in singing together, in numberless ways. For making a place for me in your lives, around dinner tables and over countless cups of coffee.

For seven beautiful autumns, teaching me why anyone in their right mind would drive all over the countryside to look at leaves. You just have to see it to believe it!

For seven snowy winters, chilling noses and ears and fingertips, and making glad and merry hearts before roaring fires and over steaming bowls of stew and chili.

For seven bright springs, riots of color and smell and light as winter finally gives up its hold, and we see truly that “Love is come again.”

For seven high summers—farmer’s markets overflowing with the bounty of the Garden State, and long afternoons stretching into twilight.

For all these gifts and so many others, which you have been so kind to share with me in my time here, there is only...

Thanks, and thanks, and ever thanks.

With much love,
Jason

Signs On The Road

2010-07-17T09:49:00.000-07:00

The sacraments are outward and visible signs of inward and spiritual grace…
From “A Catechism,” The Book of Common Prayer 1979, p. 857

Dear Ones,

Let me begin by with a confession: I hate to fly. The English language does not possess words strong enough to describe how much I dislike the current mode of passenger air travel, which frankly has more in common with the sardine canning industry or factory cattle ranching than anything resembling a transaction between human beings.

Nevertheless, I recently found it necessary to engage the services of a commercial airline in order to get from here to there and back again quickly. After braving the traffic through midtown Newark (clogged even beyond its normal rush-hour gridlock by a complete shutdown of the McCarter Highway southbound) and passing through that most byzantine of modern communal experiences known as the security checkpoint, I was then subject to the last-minute indignity of being made to “gate check” my carry-on rolling bag. (Has anyone else thought that the phrase “gate check” puts one in mind of “body check” in hockey? I can think of some gates—and gate keepers—I would gladly “check” in just such a manner. But I digress…)

At length I found myself boarding the plane, in a truly foul humor. My happy place was far, far away at that moment. But as I walked onboard, through the first class cabin and back into the depths of the great Flying Toothpaste Tube, I noticed something very odd. People were glancing up and smiling at me. Even though I know I had a fierce scowl on my face (what one friend has shamefully referred to as my “wet poodle” look) I was provoking smiles and even an occasional chuckle from complete strangers.

What on earth?

Then I remembered. In an attempt to resist the general slobbery that passes for appropriate public dress nowadays, I had made a point of dressing up to travel. (Readers of this column will not be surprise to know that yes, I do watch the AMC series Mad Men for fashion advice.) Included among that day’s sartorial embellishments: a large, cheerfully bright yellow bow tie, sprinkled with a blue lozenge pattern. It was this—and definitely not my charming personal affect at the time—that was calling forth the amusement/enjoyment of my fellow travelers.

The people who know me in real time know that bows are my tie of choice, when professional responsibilities do not require the even more obvious neck adornment of my clerical collar—or, as I sometimes call it, the world’s tiniest movie screen. (You put it on and people immediately start projecting things on it—most of which have little or nothing to do with the wearer.) But all of this put me in mind of identifiers. How do our “outward and visible signs” speak to those who see us, telling them who we are?

On the second day of the trip, I checked into a new hotel in the mid-afternoon. The young woman behind the desk noticed the clerical collar I was now wearing, and asked about it. When I told her who I was and why I was visiting, she did a little happy hop and exclaimed “I’m an Episcopalian! I grew up at…” and named a local parish. “But I haven’t been going to church very much lately…” When she noticed my home address, she remarked “New Jersey? I didn’t know we had Episcopal churches up there—I thought it was a Southern thing.”

“Actually,” I said, repressing a giggle, “the Episcopal Church has branches all over the world. It’s called the Anglican Communion. “Oh yeah,” she said, “I’ve been hearing about that on the news a lot lately—what the heck is going on?” (This was days after the combined demotion of various Episcopal representatives to the Anglican ecumenical partnerships and the so-called “Mitregate” episode at Southwark Cathedral.) I explained as well as I could in the time available, what I believed was going on: that much of the uproar was about power (who’s in charge here) and control (who’s allowed to be part of the power structure) and that this really wasn’t anything new—only the most recent iteration of a long-running fight.

She got a thoughtful look on her face, and then said, “My best friend is a member of a very conservative church, and even though we’ve been friends all our lives, she’s always telling me that I’m going to Hell if I don’t believe everything she believes…but her brother is gay. And you know, when the people at that church found that out, they told him to get out and never come back. And he had grown up there—that was his home! I don’t think that was right.”

We talked more that day, and again the next day when I checked out of the hotel. And she told me “Maybe I’ll see you at St. Augustine's if you come here!” “I hope you do—and bring your friend and her brother with you!” I replied.

Sacraments: outward and visible signs of the inward and spiritual grace and gifts, which God offers to all people. God send us the opportunity to be bearers and signs of these gifts, and the good sense to recognize them when they appear!

See you on the porch!

Silver Bay Edition 2010

2010-07-16T09:58:00.000-07:00

Dear Ones,

I am sitting in a rocking chair on the porch of the Inn at Silver Bay near Hague, New York, on the western shore of Lake George looking out at the water glittering in the morning sunlight. A cool breeze blows across the porch, running the entire length of the old inn before it slides down the banister and crosses to the Auditorium, a heavy brown-shingled barn of a place that serves as the assembly hall and performing arts center for the campus. This is, without a doubt, one of my very favorite “views from the porch”.

When I sat in this spot about twelve months ago and wrote to you, I was in significant distress and anxiety. My life had been turned upside down, and I truly wondered how I would make it through the days ahead. Logically I knew that I would, somehow—but that didn’t change the fear and sense of freefall that gripped me all too often in those days.

It is certain that times of trial, in Paul’s words to the Galatians, can produce character. But what a process of formation this has been!

I learned how much I am loved, as words of support and concrete offers of material help came from all over the country. I have treasured a number of letters and emails I received in those days, some from friends I had not seen in years, that spoke with such eloquence and passion about the influence I had exercised in their lives without ever knowing it at the time.

I learned that although panic may be a good motivator, it is not a good strategy. And I learned that hate and the desire for vengeance are toxic to those who harbor them. “Have you forgiven…?” someone asked me some months ago. And I could truly say yes, and not because I particularly wanted to forgive (nor to forget—if nothing else, I have learned how not to treat others over whom I hold authority!) Rather, I had grown tired—tired of giving even one more drop of emotional energy to that particular bottomless pit. I had grown weary of my own soul being gunked up with the residual toxic sludge that was only as strong as I allowed it to be. I forgave for the sake of my own well-being, because I was tired of carrying that burden around with me.

I learned to trust my instincts. I am, and always have been, a strong intuitive personality (INFP, if you track that sort of thing) and it is all too easy for me to second-guess myself and think myself into a corner. But what I have discovered is that my gut (ample as it is) can indeed be a trustworthy source of wisdom, and deserves my attention in times of decision.

I’ve learned something about the gifts I have to offer, as a writer, as a priest, as a human being. And I’ve learned what I need to do to honor and cultivate those gifts, in order to share them with other people. I’ve learned how much I love being the pastor of a congregation—or, as my friend Karen Ward says, an “abbot”. That is, a leader charged with the spiritual development of a community so that all may come to the fullness of their respective identities in Christ.

And I’ve learned again, that sitting on the porch with a glass of iced tea, or a cup of coffee, alone or with friends, is as surely a holy place as any cathedral or shrine. It is good, Lord, to be here.

See you on the porch!

Overhearing the Kingdom at Panera Bread Company

2009-10-10T19:36:00.001-07:00

15 Bloomfield Avenue
Montclair, New Jersey
October 10, 2009
2:23 p.m. Eastern Time

I’m sitting by the windows, warm in the sun, expectant of a late lunch. A woman seated nearby is surrounded by papers and mail. Even from this distance, I see that she is reading a flyer from a nearby Unitarian-Universalist congregation announcing opportunities for ministry in and among the local community.

My order is ready, and I stand up to get it. Behind me, another woman is typing on her laptop. I glance down and see the computer screen. She’s writing an email to a friend. “You better believe that I’m praying for that commercial loan to come through for you…the prayers are going up, and the blessings are coming down.”

I return to my table. As I begin to eat, I notice a father and young son at another nearby table. The son, a chatty and excited five-year-old, reminds his father of a summer trip to the Jersey shore, apparently hoping to return as soon as possible. “They’re all closed down now,” the father says patiently. “The boardwalk and the stores, they’re only open in the spring and summer, when people are around. We’ll go again when the spring returns.”

I turn my attention to my chicken salad and corn chowder, only to hear the son exclaim moments later, as if to inform the entire restaurant: “But when you’re DEAD you’re really gone, right?”

“Right, that’s it.. You’re just…gone.” Dad seems a bit embarrassed, either by the subject or his son’s exuberance in sharing it with the general public. The son, however, is not quite finished on the topic.

“I heard a story once, about someone who had come alive again…” and then the story trails off in a volume insufficient for further eavesdropping. Once again I return attention to my chowder, now rapidly cooling in spite of the autumn sunshine pouring through the windows.

Soon father and son prepare to leave the restaurant. The father momentarily steps away from the table. The son holds up a clear plastic bag containing a large round loaf of bread, from which some has been torn—no doubt for their lunch. And in that exuberant voice and tone again: “Here, here—I’ll give this to you for your birthday!”

One season ends, and a new season begins; birthdays and death days are remembered and honored; opportunities for ministry, encouragement and intercessory prayer present themselves; we hear stories of good times in the past, and rumors of resurrection—and in the midst of it all, a little child. And a great big tasty loaf of bread, meant to be broken and shared so that many might be fed.

Do I really need to go to church tomorrow? Yes, I think so…I have something wondrous to share. Here, here…let me show you…

Liturgical Texts from the Gulf Coast

2009-09-14T13:36:00.000-07:00

Introit: After Ike

By the waters of Bolivar we sat down and wept,
when we remembered you, O Gilchrist;
when we considered you, our House of Joy.

We hung up our thinking caps on a lonely scrub cedar;
on a single bare post in the midst of a empty sand flat;
and our hearts bowed down with grief.

We uncovered our heads in the sunlight and salt air;
and our hearts were heavy with sorrow.

How shall we play silly games (Trivial Pursuit, Pigmania, Train),
weak with laughter, late into the night,
on a red kitchen table, surrounded by watermelons,
when there is neither game board, nor table,
nor watermelons to cheer us on?

How shall joys be multiplied, and sorrows divided, in the breeze and afternoon shade,
if there is no place to sit down together, under your shadow?

How shall memories be made and shared and kept,
if there is no gathering place?

And now, O Lord of sea and sky, of waters and winds, hear us:
Give heed to our lament, Maker of starfish and sand dollars.

Lean down and listen to us, who mourn for what is no more;
Pay attention to us, who grieve for what has been lost.

From the morning sun, rising over the Gulf, come to us;
With the first stars at twilight, as cicadas play an evening hymn,
show yourself to us.

Surround us on every side, that we may not drown in despair or distress;
when the winds of loss and waves of grief howl and rage,
come quickly and rescue us.

Let this place, this empty and desolate sand flat, be again a holy place,
a place set apart, for those who will come here:
a sanctuary for birds, and sand crabs, and salt grasses;
a smooth and level ground for tents and campfires.

Let this small patch of earth know growth and greenness once more,
let this air ring with the laughter and life of your little ones.

Fill us with beloved memory, and show us the way forward,
and bring us up, to the shady front porch of your House of Joy;
for you are the God of the living,
in you all things live and move and have their being,
and in you nothing Loved is ever truly lost.

10/25/08

A Canticle of Praise
Written for the Blessing of a Crawfish Hatchery in Chambers County, TX in 2005

O give thanks to our God, who is good:
whose love endures for ever.

You sun and moon, and stars of the sky:
give to our God your thanks and praise.

Sunset and sunrise, night and day:
give to our God your thanks and praise.

All mountains and valleys, coastal plains and high plains:
give to our God your thanks and praise.

Mesquite and pine trees, magnolias and scrub cedars;
Bluebonnets and black-eyed Susans, Indian blanket and Indian paintbrush:
give to our God your thanks and praise.

All you creatures, great and small;
White tails and white wings, armadillos and hummingbirds:
give to our God your thanks and praise.

Oceans, swamps, rivers and creeks, worship the Lord:
give to our God your thanks and praise.

You who swim or slink or move in the waters;
Crawfish and crab, oysters and shrimp,
Redfish, bluefish, catfish and jellyfish:
give to our God your thanks and praise.

Let the people of God worship the Lord:
give to our God your thanks and praise.

Teachers and lawyers,
statesmen, students and scholars;
Farmers and fishermen, CEOs and janitors,
Homeowners and housekeepers, worship the Lord:
give to our God your thanks and praise.

You who seek after God in the silence of your hearts:
Mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers;
give to our God your thanks and praise.

In times of trouble and in times of gladness;
In plenty and in want, in sorrow and in joy:
give to our God your thanks and praise.

To God be glory and worship; Father, Son and Holy Spirit:
Let us give to our God our thanks and praise.

From the heights of the sky to the depths of the sea:
Let us give to our God our thanks and praise.

The Taste of Memory

2009-08-25T11:13:00.000-07:00

“Bring the food that you eat, when you need to know you are loved.”

This was our final assignment in a doctoral seminar class on the Eucharist. We were to bring enough of whatever food it was, to share with the class—sixteen doctoral and advanced masters’ degree students.

I didn’t have to think very hard about what to bring. Of course it had to be the lemon wafers.

These cookies are simplicity itself, which undoubtedly recommended them to the ladies organizing the Vacation Bible School at the Methodist church in Liberty, Texas that summer in 1978. One lemon cake mix, one egg, one cup of vegetable oil, mix and drop and bake at 350 for ten minutes…even the very youngest children could help.

When my grandmother picked me up that day at noon, I carried a plastic sandwich bag with a few lemon cookies in it, and the recipe printed on a half-sheet of typing paper. We shared them on the short drive home—still warm and soft in the middle, thin and crumbling brown at the edges.

Thereafter, these little treats were always available at her house. Gram made them in huge batches (they make a lot anyway) and froze them, layered between waxed paper in large shallow tupperware containers. When guests came to visit, she would ask “Would you like a cookie?” and unfailingly produce a plate of the bright yellow-gold circles.

On June 22, 2000, less than a month after I graduated from the Episcopal Theological Seminary of the Southwest, my grandmother died at home, in her sleep. She had lived a long, rich, full life, and yet when the minister asked me if I wanted to have a role in the service, I answered, “Yes. I want to sit in the front row and cry. That is my role today.” And it was, and I did.

Nearly a year later I was ordained to the priesthood in St. Paul’s Church, Waco, Texas. At the reception which followed the service, on the long buffet table in the middle of the hall, was a large platter of lemon wafers. I had never seen these at any St. Paul’s coffee hour or gathering before, so I asked my friend who was coordinating the reception, “Where did these come from?” She didn’t know. She asked her friends who were helping, who had arranged all the food and drink for the gathering. They didn’t know. No one was able to identify the source or origin of the lemon wafers that night. Nor were such ever seen again at a St. Paul’s event, in the two consecutive years I served there.

A coincidence, no doubt. Somehow completely explainable to even the most rational mind. Yet for those of us who seek the patterns, the connections in this world, the wondrous moments when the magic sparkles in the corners of our eyes…much more than that.

“Bring the food that you eat, when you need to know you are loved.”
“I made this just for you.”
“Take, eat… do this in remembrance.”

A View From the Porch: A Retrospective

2009-08-25T11:11:00.001-07:00

From my porch, I have seen…

· Four cycles of the maple tree in the front yard, from bright gold to barren gray branches, to palest green to deep emerald and back again;

· Does and their fawns crossing the street at midnight;

· The Seeing Eye: dogs and owners and trainers up and down the sidewalks, learning to walk together;

· Wedding guests rushing to find a parking spot before donning jackets and hats, on their way to Assumption Church on a Saturday afternoon;

· Mourners of all ages, dressed in everything from dark suits and ties to blue jeans and t-shirts, going to pay their last respects to a family member or beloved friend;

· Neighbors on their way to the grocery store, or the dry cleaners, or the library;

· Squirrels engaged in a thousand gymnastic activities, from fence rails and tree branches;

· Basil and parsley and rosemary growing in hanging pots, luxuriant under the summer sun.

I have watched the life of a town there: a busy, lively community that has been my home for a while. A bit of my heart will remain here; I will always be grateful for the lessons I learned in this place and with this group of people.

Vacation Edition: August 2009

2009-08-14T15:55:00.000-07:00

Hello dear ones!

This edition comes to you from the “gazee-deck” (not quite gazebo, not quite deck…the best of both!) at Croft Alden, just south of Hague, New York. Directly to the east, Lake George is barely visible, screened by a tall stand of pine and cedar. I can almost hear the water lapping on the shore. The sun has risen on a cool and bright August morning, and the deranged songbird outside my window insisted that I should get up and see this daily miracle for myself. He was quite correct—it is a beautiful sight.

In my lexicon “going to the water” is synonymous with rest and restoration. Growing up I spent summers on the Texas Gulf Coast, at a house that no longer exists, save in blessed memory, getting sunburned, playing in the surf and digging in the sand, reading ancient comic books and listening to Waylon and Willie and the boys, and eating icy-cold watermelon and sweet corn from the farm stand down the road. The house had no air conditioning, but with windows in all the exterior walls and ceiling fans in every room, it didn’t need it. We heard the sound of the wind and waves; we felt the breeze off the water (so much so that you actually wanted a quilt at night, even in high summer), we smelled the salt air and cut grass, and occasionally the “ew-ick” of a fish that had been left on the shore to decompose.

This time apart—this Sabbath here at the lake in New York—has been much anticipated and welcomed. We will leave two days hence, returning to our new place at Jubilee House, where we will continue to unpack and “make ourselves at home.” School starts again very soon (and already has, for some of us) and I will be beavering away on my great project that leads to “The Rev. Dr.” on my business cards.

The last few months have been something of a rollercoaster ride, but we seem to have come through with only a few chips and scratches. To all of you (and you know who you are) who have helped us in this time of transition and uncertainty, through your prayers and good will, and through offers of assistance of all kinds—may the Almighty return to you double those things which you have shared with us. We have been “bathed in grace” in these days, and the waters of this glorious lake have reminded me of that truth. “I will lift up mine eyes to the hills, from whence cometh my help.”

See you on the porch!

A New View from a New Porch

2009-08-03T08:23:00.000-07:00

Hello my dears!

I'm writing in haste, but wanted the friends to know that the Precentor household is now fully relocated to our new digs at Jubilee House. Boxes everywhere--who knew we has so much JUNK? Relieved at having it done; a bit sad at the closing of the previous chapter of our lives; excited to see where the Holy Spirit may be blowing us now!

Email to precentor69 at yahoo dot com for direct contact information :)

See you on the porch!

Gainful Employment

2009-07-09T11:02:00.001-07:00

Hello Dear Ones!

I’d waited to write this blog entry until it was “for sure”…and as of last night, it is. Starting on Labor Day weekend, I will be serving a congregation again, as their long-term Sunday supply priest, at least through the spring of 2010.

Living Stones Church is located in a small town (village, really) on a beautiful lake in the forest wilderness of northwestern New Jersey. (My Texas readers are encouraged not to laugh at this image—NJ is not all urban highrises and freeways, any more than Nacogdoches is all tumbleweeds and scrub cedar!) There is much potential in the place, and the congregation is going through a time of discernment, to see what the Holy Spirit is up to among them in this time. I met last week with the wardens for a delightful conversation and tour of the facilities, and last night the vestry approved my coming to them starting in September.

In the meantime, the Precentor family continues our preparations to relocate northward to Jubilee House. This will happen sooner rather than later, and certainly by the end of July at the very latest. The drive between Jubilee House and Living Stones Church is approximately forty-five minutes on a Sunday morning, with no traffic.

I know many of you have had us very much in your thoughts and prayers, and we are profoundly grateful. Keep praying—moving is not fun, even under the best of circumstances. But some thanksgivings are definitely in order just now!

See you on the porch!

To A Congregation I Have Loved

2009-07-06T15:32:00.001-07:00

I’ve thought a great deal about what I wanted to say today. There is much that could be said, and not nearly enough time to say everything. But there are three things I do want to say.

The first thing has to do with forgiveness. Whenever I prepare couples for marriage, I always point out to them that the prayers in the marriage service ask that God will “give them grace, when they hurt each other, to recognize and acknowledge their fault, and to seek each other’s forgiveness…” Not if, but when. It is not possible for two people to live together for any length of time without there being hurts and misunderstandings. Much less three hundred people living together. So then, for all the things that I have done, and the things I have failed to do, which have hurt you, or caused you pain, I ask your forgiveness. For the things which you have done, or failed to do, which have caused me pain, I offer you my forgiveness. They symbol of St. Peter is the keys—the ability to unlock and set free those who are bound. So then, from this day let us move forward, released from any bonds of old hurt or offense.

The second thing has to do with gratitude and thanksgiving. I have been among you for several years, and although we have definitely had our ups and downs, I have been blessed by our time together. For the most part, it has been fun. It has been joyous. It has been life-giving. And I will always be grateful for the opportunity to be among you, for this time we have had together.

And the third thing has to do with love, of course. I have loved you as well as I have been able, in the time we have had. You have loved me also, as well as you were able. And from this bond of love, from this bond only, I will not release you. For I am part of you; and you are part of me, and there is no power in heaven or on earth to change that. So remember me then, when you go to that altar for communion. Remember me, when you go out into the world to love and serve God, as you love and serve the people of God. Remember me, above all, when you SING. And as I have said to you, many times, I say to you once again:

Dear friends, life is short, and we have but little time to gladden the hearts of those who make this earthly pilgrimage with us. So be swift to love, and make haste to do kindness; and the blessing of God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, be upon you this day, and forevermore.

Shaking my head...

2009-07-02T10:02:00.000-07:00

...at unbridled cluelessness.

Hello dear ones!

The latest surprise (though at this point I'm suprised by very little any longer) consisted of an invitation to return to COTID and officiate at the Sunday services, prior to the farewell reception to be held three days hence. "It would be a good ministry to the congregation."

Perhaps. However, I'm mindful of the invitation to Confession in Rite 1: "Ye who do truly and earnestly repent you of your sins, and are in love and charity with your neighbors..." And right now I'm not there. Not even close.

So although there will be a gathering this weekend of friends and well-wishers, that is all that I can manage at this time. There will be more later :)

See you on the porch!

Marching (or waltzing) to Zion...

2009-06-26T09:31:00.001-07:00

Hello Dear Ones!

It's been a few days since the last update, but there is good news on the horizon. His Purpleness' Second-in-Command has informed The Precentor of a congregation that might be a very good match for my skills and availability in the next months. So they will be calling me (or I'll be calling them) shortly, and we will see how this all works out.

In the meantime, The Barrister has taken care of any and all necessary details regarding our departure from COTID (see original blog entry for the acronym) and we're moving forward in satisfaction.

More news as it unfolds. But we are well, and all shall be well.

See you on the porch!

Father's Day at Jubilee House

2009-06-21T16:07:00.000-07:00

Hello Dear Ones!

More good news from the Precentor household. Today we worshipped with our friends, the Rev. and Mrs. Jubilee, in their home congregation "up north" of here. This is a diverse, very friendly group of people who are seeking the Holy Spirit's activity in their midst, and trying to discover their own call to ministry in that particular place. The Rev. Jubilee himself is not the pastor of the congregation, but worships there when he is not out on the road working for the kingdom.

After a warm and welcoming service of holy communion (with a donkey-kicking sermon by the Rev. Mama Grace, pastor) and some barn-burner gospel hymns that Mrs. Precentor recalled from her evangelical childhood, we made our way to the Jubilee House for lunch, and fellowship, and a tour of our new digs. We will have our own "flat" at the top of the house--bedroom, office, full bath and generous attic closet that may become the Precentor Library Pro Tempore if we can get an electrician to put a few plugs in there. Some of our other furnishings will serve the entire household...and the rest will go into storage for the time being.

And since I know some of you are wondering...yes, there is a proper screened porch, with a very nice view, for settin' and thinkin' and writin'. "All I have needed, Thy hand hath provided..."

At the end of the worship service this morning, the men of the congregation were all given red carnations. Mama Grace announced that "even if you're not a father 'technically', please take a flower in honor of the fatherly care and attention you have bestowed upon those who love you." Precentor was (and is!) much in mind of those whom he has cared for and tended to over the past few years

So happy Father's Day my dears. From one who has been occasionally called by that name, and has been much honored by your love and affection.

See you on the porch!

New Beginnings

2009-06-19T14:58:00.000-07:00

Hello Dear Ones!

As many of you know, as of Sunday I am no longer employed at the Church of the Immaculate Dysfunction. Although I will miss many of you very much, I want you to know that this new development is, at bottom, A Good Thing. Opportunity has presented itself in amazing and unexpected ways, and Mrs. Precentor and I are looking forward to the next stage in our lives.

Dear friends from an earlier time in our life have recently resurfaced in a neighboring town, living in a grand old Victorian manse with lots of spare rooms, (and maybe a magic wardrobe?) and they are able to take us under their roof for the duration until I can rightly sign my name as The Rev. Dr. Precentor. Therein is grace itself. So the Precentor household, including our furry four-legged entourage, will be decamping for points north forthwith (or at least fifthwith.)

On Wednesday I was "over the river and across the island" to meet someone whose library and lived experience will serve me well in my scholarly endeavors, and he too has promised his assistance in the project.

I am in conversation with His Purpleness at the home office, and his Second-In-Command, who has been most helpful in beginning the process of helping me find suitable employment in a short time. Both of them, and all of my professional colleagues who have contacted me, have been unbelievably kind and gracious in their offers of support, both material and spiritual. As have the friends and family who have called, sent emails, offered to provide all manner of helps and assistances--from the sublime to the ridiculous! We are richly blessed in this outpouring of love and affection and prayer, and we want to thank you all, so very much.

Continue those prayers--for us who are moving on, and for those who will remain. There are changes ahead, and some may be challenging indeed. But we are an Easter people--we hold fast to the blessed hope of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and ourselves and all we hold dear, along with him. We are a Pentecost people--the Spirit blows where She will, and you feel the wind and see the effects, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. We are not in control--just in case you'd forgotten! There is joy in the morning, and we are not alone.

See you on the porch!