Snow and Ice

Gate at Ivy Lane

Before anyone in my life ever "went to Jarod's"

God gave me diamonds with the fire of the universe in them.

Snow covered fields sparkled with them in evening light and

at dawn I awoke to their pleasures all around me.

I wore them in my hair as they fell in faceted beauty,

I have never looked so beautiful

or felt so loved.

The snow that has covered our landscape here in the mountains is like confectioner's sugar. The snowflakes were tiny and icy and the resulting snow is soft and powdery. Driving into town yesterday I saw hay bales with a covering of snow that made them look like big wheat biscuits with a sugar icing.

It is bitterly cold again this morning and the dryness of the air makes it hurt to breathe outside. I find myself covering up my face and pulling the hood on my jacket up till it forms shields along the sides of my head. Of course it's hard to see where you are going with all that stuff going on around your face!

When I was walking Bella on the leash in Fayetteville I noticed that sometimes the cars just seemed to appear from nowhere. We would be walking along and I would lift my head to see a car coming up behind me. I began to question my ability to hear well…I am getting older. I finally realized that the cars that seemed to sneak up on us were running on batteries! These "stealth cars" add a whole different dimension to city walking. At home here on Ivy Lane, Bella gets to run unleashed most of the time. Mary Oliver has a poem in her book, "Dog Songs":

You may not agree, you may not care, but

if you are holding this book you should know

that of all the sights I love in this world -

and there are plenty - very near the top of

the list is this one: dogs without leashes. 

(Mary Oliver. Dog Songs. New York: The Penguin Press. 2013.  Page 9)

Traveling

Bella and I have just gotten home from quite a journey. I was the supply clergy for Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in Fayetteville, NC for the last two weeks. During the week between the two Sundays I visited wonderful friends in Wilmington, NC. When we got to Wilmington last Tuesday it was 60 degrees outside and when we left it was 29 degrees! This part of the "deep south" has been experiencing a deep freeze.  Given the weather reports for the rest of this week it seems that we left our friends "down east" just before they get snow. Looks like we will all be trying to stay warm.

This past weekend in Fayetteville was nostalgic for me. Doing services at Holy Trinity, where I was the Associate in the late 90's, was great. They start their relationship with their new Interim Rector next week as they begin the search for a new rector. They are a talented and faithful congregation poised and ready for ministry and growth. It will be fun to watch as they find out how really wonderful they are!

I had an opportunity to have tea with some Fayetteville friends yesterday afternoon. There were several generations there. Women I have known 20 years, some of their daughters and even one granddaughter! I felt so honored to be in the midst of these women - watching some of them grow up, go to college and become mothers themselves. This is the great privilege of being a priest. Entering people's lives in the happy, sad and ordinary times of life and watching with wonder as God works in their lives. The joy of these relationships is immense and my heart is very happy for having this weekend of remembering. 

Bella's Santa hat was a Christmas gift from friends in Fayetteville. I think it is quite fetching! She seems unsure...

Hoping for Snow

Today's forecast is for snow along the Appalachian Mountains. Rain and fog have been plentiful but not yet much snow this winter. Bella and I have perfected walking in the rain. With me all bundled up and Bella wet and muddy, we are quite a sight! I towel her off; she lays in front of the fire and almost gets dry before the next walk!

This is Bella's version of "duck hunting"! Her favorite toy is this stuffed Mallard and she carries it around the house and often presents it to me by dropping it in my lap. The "wound" on its wing will have to have some sutures eventually but for the most part Bella treats it with some degree of honor. When I saw it in the store I knew she would like it. Her favorite toys before "duckie" were old socks stuffed with other old socks. I think her love for soft things is a reflection of her sweet soft personality.

I am reading Serena by Ron Rash. Rash is the Parris Distinguished Professor in Appalachian Cultural Studies at Western Carolina University. Serena is being made into a movie this year but I can't imagine any movie that will communicate this story as well as Rash has in this book. Rash's knowledge of the culture of Appalachia, his excellent writing and character development make this book a great read. Part of the appeal of this book for me, I know, is that the setting is so familiar. Set in the familiar places of Western North Carolina, Rash develops word pictures of the faces of the mountain people who are part of my family. This story of Serena is really the story of the struggle between the logging industry and those who wanted to preserve our hardwood forests, giving us the beauty of our National Parks here in North Carolina. It is the story of environmental preservation versus greed. Serena is also a story of passionate and strong people - at its core, a love story. I am both eager to finish it and dreading the end of this wonderful story.

Be Ye Glad

A good friend recently gave me an album of music by two very talented young people: Mark Weems and Julee Glaub Weems. The album is called Healing at the Roots: Songs of Renewal. They play a variety of instruments in this album: dulcimer, flute, guitar and others. With their voices blending in beautiful harmony, the music seems effortless. 

One of the songs on this album has stayed with me over these weeks of traveling, celebrating and recovering: Be Ye Glad. It is written by Michael Kelly Blanchard who is a friend and mentor of the Weems. The words of the chorus are: 

Be Ye Glad, be ye glad,

every debt that you ever had

has been paid up in full

by the grace of the Lord.

Be ye glad, be ye glad, be glad.

These words have imprinted themselves on my heart in the way that only music can carve itself into us. It is a refrain that my heart goes to in the midst of the darkness that can come in these days after so much celebration. The worry of wars, whether it's in the Sudan or inside our heart; the anxiety of unrest in so much of the world and in our own family or community. These things provide so much fodder for long nights of doubt and hurt. We are all seeking the comfort of knowing that somewhere, somehow there is a place of rest. I want to know that there is one thing in the midst of the darkness that I can celebrate; and that this one thing is durable and offered freely to all.

So be like lights on the rim of the water

giving hope in a storm sea of night.

Be a refuge amidst the slaughter,

for these fugitives in their flight.

For you are timeless

and part of a puzzle.

You are winsome and young as a lad.

And there is no disease or no struggle

that can pull you from God,

Be Ye Glad. 

(verse 3, Be Ye Glad by Michael Kelly Blanchard)

How to be Human

In the past week I have been to see 2 excellent theater productions; Kinky Boots (in NYC) and The Book of Mormon (in Charlotte, NC) For those who might be wondering if this is my usual lifestyle, the answer is no. Although it's been a number of years since I last experienced professional theater, the feeling of excitement generated by being in the presence of such amazing talent is as intoxicating as ever.

Both of these productions are filled with music, dialogue and dancing; and both carry important messages to those who would hear. Kinky Boots tells the stories of 2 young men who do not fit into the molds that their families expect of them. One man was groomed to take over the family shoe business but his heart was not in it. The other young man was trained as a lightweight boxer but the world of his heart was far from boxing. The story opens up the world of individuals who are "transgendered". The agonizing struggle between the body's outward genetic marks and the inward genetic psyche of another gender is profound.  How can a young man trained by his father to be a boxer desire instead dresses, makeup, dancing and singing? It takes courage for both of these young men to overcome the values placed on them by family and society so that they can find their way and their work. The message of this story is meant to challenge our notions of "normal". It cuts into our desire to punish and push away that which we may not understand.. What will it mean to a world filled with hate and pain if we begin to accept and love, without judgment, each person as they are? Better yet, what will it mean for our heart?

The Book of Mormon is a complex story. It's content is about the Mormon Church but it is really a story about all Churches, faiths and sects who insert ourselves into other cultures seeking to convert. The play conveys its message in lively music, flashy dancing and colorful scenes. It swells with uproarious laughter and then takes us on a dive into humanity's "need to succeed" at any cost. Insisting that other cultures appropriate our religious language and practices while ignoring their own rich cultural heritage fosters the picture of white arrogance that is so prevalent in the world today. The play is not for the faint hearted. There is irreverence which shocks, and there are the shocking and real situations which people are living with every day in their lives: AIDS, poverty, hunger, and the mutilation of female genitalia in young women (often called female circumcision).


All through this play I thought about a priest I did some short term mission work with on the Navajo Reservation. He was British and had worked with indigenous people in Australia and Canada before coming to Bluff, Utah to work with the Navajo. He did not come in and take away the language and myths of the Navajo, he took their language and history and incorporated it into the Christian story, blending the two in a way that gave integrity to both. His "call" to work among the Navajo was not a matter of how many he could convert to "proper Anglican worship" and belief, but how he work alongside of them, learning from them and helping them in their struggles. His presentation of the "good news" of God's love was as multifaceted as a diamond.

It is amazing what we can learn about ourselves even as we experience the joy of entertainment!

New Year...New Blog

There is no doubt in my mind that the patterns and colors of nature inspire the most beautiful creations. This picture of "winter sky" could be a piece of oriental silk ready to be fashioned into a kimono, a scarf or a gown. I see it laid out on a cutting table ready for scissors and thread. And yet, it also adorns the sky as I walk Bella on a cold morning. It gets reflected in the ponds we pass and every creature gets to feel it's silky caress. The Creator has offered up the finest fabric for our morning gown. Her efforts do not go unnoticed!

In this new year of 2014 I am choosing to blog once again. I am beginning with a new title and a new format, and many new questions in my mind. Coming to a place in my life where I have more questions than answers has given me a lot to "chew on".  It may be "madness" at times to push the thoughts in my mind out into print for everyone to see but I think I will trust this instinct which says: Write it down! There are no promises in me about posting everyday; I know I am no good at those kind of expectations over the long haul. My fingers are "itching" to write and we will see what that brings...

If you have had the flu raise your hand! Although you can't see it, my hand is definitely raised high. This is the 5th day of coughing, sneezing, etc for me. It is so unfair that tiny little viruses get to go around causing so much havoc. I am resting by the fire today so that I can go see "The Book of Mormon" tomorrow in Charlotte. There will be more about that later but for now - more fluids and a nap!