Moving Diagonally

I was fortunate enough on the last three Sundays of my vacation to worship in churches with elegant liturgy and world-class musical resources (Ascension, Chicago; St Thomas' Fifth Avenue, NYC; and St Michael & St George in Clayton, MO). My soul was fed. But I cannot fail to mention how sweet it was to preside, preach, receive the vows of four adults entering the Anglican tradition, and enthusiastically sing "Immortal, invisible ..." with 15 others in the humble venue (converted one-room schoolhouse) of St Mary's, Robinson.

St Mary's, Robinson -- Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23 ; Deuteronomy 4:1-2, 6-9; James 1:17-27 If you spend very much time reading the Bible, especially the Old Testament, it will not escape you that the Judeo-Christian God has a very low opinion of the practice of idolatry. An idol is presumed to be an image or statue, fashioned by human hands from stone or wood or metal, which is then set in a prominent place and worshiped—people make physical gestures of veneration towards it. Psalm 135 makes fun of idol worship with these words: “The idols of the heathen are but silver and gold, the work of human hands. They have mouths, but they cannot speak; eyes have they, but they cannot see. They have ears, but they cannot hear; neither is there any breath in their mouth.“ The anonymous author of the Book of Deuteronomy is particularly worked up about idolatry. There are three verses that are inexplicably omitted from the lectionary citation for this morning’s first reading that refer to an ...

Back in the saddle. Up and out to arrive at the Cathedral/Office complex around 9am. Got ready to preside and preach at the Diocesan Council Mass (we did a votive "For All Baptized Christians"). Several short exchanges with various people as the clock ticked toward 10. Presided at the regular August (third of four annual) Council meeting. Three short impromptu meetings afterward. When the dust all cleared, I refined and printed the text of tomorrow's homily at St Mary's, Robinson. Home (via Hardee's) around 2:30. Ate my lunch and tried to relax, aware that I feel like I'm "coming down with something." (How's that for timing?) Left for Robinson at 5, and pulled in at the Best Western around 8:15 . Lots of internet chores to attend to before bedtime.

Brenda and I sat in the pews this morning at St Paul's Cathedral in Springfield, came up to be prayed over because our wedding anniversary is this month, and sat around gabbing with parishioners during the coffee hour. My vacation officially began yesterday, but I've been busy tying up loose ends so I can actually be on vacation. So I'll be going dark in this venue until the 29th. Be well, hold me in your prayers, and I'll see you on the other end of the tunnel--tanned, fit, and relaxed, deo volente .

We are back home now--unpacked, cleaned up, and reacquainted with the cat, who isn't sure whether she missed us or not. Yesterday (Friday) we checked out of our lodging in Arequipa around 8:30 and were taken right away to the local office of LAN, the Chilean-Peruvian airline on which we were book for a flight to Lima later that day. I had gotten a message from a third party about a departure delay, and we were already concerned about a tight connection. The office assured us that all was running on time.  So we proceeded with a day of exploring the Anglican presence in the city of Arequipa. First up was the smallest and newest mission, Holy Nativity. The church is a modest structure, even by Peruvian standards, but it is strategically located in a well-populated sub-municipality. While we were in the area, Bishop Alejandro decided it would be a good idea to drop in on the local mayor, whom he had not met and wants to cultivate a relationship with. Peru lacks the embedded suspicio...