Good morning!
Back at church today. The first things that greeted my eyes were the gorgeous red brocade hangings of Pentecost. This reminded me that I'd entirely forgotten my plan of yesterday afternoon to wear red today; instead I was garbed in turquoise and white. It's the custom in these years to wear red on Pentecost, and some congregations really observe that. Hardly anyone at St Paul's had on red in any degree, so I was in the majority though I'd intended otherwise.
We had a wonderful guest preacher, The Rev. Dr. James Alexander Forbes, Jr., minister emeritus of The Riverside Church in NYC. He started up with a fairly small musical voice but developed it as he went along. He has a great speaking style. The thrust of his speaking today (he also spoke at the Borum) was the need for Spiritual Renewal in our country. He left us with no solutions to our national dilemmas pertaining to debt, entitlements, and spending, but gave us much to think upon.
His amusing analogy was of the speaking-up of Balaam's Ass, who was used by God, when there was no one else to speak up, to have His say. We are in the position of Balaam's Ass. We are the only ones who will be speaking, so speak up.
A beautiful exhibition from two artists of the congregation, Ken Gary and Kirby Kendrick, is currently on display on the walls of the sanctuary. Their theme is, Spirituality of the American Southwest. Both painters are excellent. Kendrick's paintings are vibrant and alive, and made me realize that those mud-colored mesas and rocks that Theo and I just drove through are actually of the colors of crimson and gold.
Ken Gary's works are based on the cultures of Hopi and Navajo (and probably others) and are very lucent with a true spirit of the place. I loved both.
As I viewed the paintings, Martin Green, the organist, played a wonderful suite by Buxtehude in C Major, consisting of a Chaconne, Fugue, and something else. Buxtehude goes along just fine with the spirit of the American Southwest, something that would pleasantly surprise him, I am sure. Hasta mañana, YAZZYBEL
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