Back in the pew


I was “back in the pew” at St. Boniface Church on Siesta Key (Sarasota, FL) today.  It felt good!

For much of the summer I sang in the choir, and on the four most recent Sundays I have been “upfront” where I have served in my ministerial capacity.  (Sep 26th I preached at St. David’s, Englewood, FL; Oct 3rd   I assisted at Christ the Liberator in Quito, Ecuador; Oct 10th   I presided at the 10:00 a.m. St. Boniface’s Eucharist; Oct 17th   I preached and presided at St. Margaret’s, Sarasota.)

I was so happy to be nothing more or less than a parishioner this morning. 

I sat with my friends Adrian and Anno Swain (their real names).  Adrian has had a storied and charmed career.  He has served with the FBI, the CIA, the Army Air Corps (later the United States Air Force); and the Bureau of Drugs and Narcotics. Anno once owned a ranch in Oregon.  I love to share a pew with them, and with their son Ken.

I looked around from that pew at some of the folks I’ve come to know at St. B’s.  Each has a different story.  In what follows I have given them pseudonyms. 

“Tony and Sarah” are in their late sixties. Tony is already showing signs of senility.  Together they are raising two fabulous grandchildren aged about 10 and 12.  Tony and Sarah are amongst the hordes of retired grandparents whose lot is not to “eat, drink, and be merry” -   but rather to care for their grand-kids on a full time basis.

“Roger” usually sits in front of me.  He has a ready smile. He loves to hear me sing.  But I will not see him for a while. This is because he has been incarcerated in a prison in Miami. His term (for “white collar crime”) is 30 months. I never would have guessed.

I often exchange warm greetings with “Howard and Isabel”.  They and I exchange ready smiles and warm hugs. “Isabel” wrote a letter to our local newspaper a couple of month ago. The letter was a mean and snarky attack on the President. 

I was shocked. I could not believe that “Isabel” would pen such nonsense. But I hugged her today!


Grant (his real name) is a wee boy aged about 4 or 5. 

I first noticed him a couple of years ago when he approached the Altar with his parents.  His face was filled with joy and glee as he got ready to receive communion. I shared my joy at his joy with his Mom and Dad.  

I whispered out his name as he was striding back from the Altar today.  He heard my whisper.  I shook his hand.  That was too formal for Grant.  So he walked over to my pew and gave me a delicious hug!

Adrian and Anno.  
 “Tony and Sarah”. 
“Roger”. 
“Howard and Isabel”.   
 Grant.  

For of such is the Kingdom of Heaven at St. Boniface Church.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Shoe insults

Last year I consulted with a local podiatrist: Dr. Robert F Herbold Jr. D.P.M. 4717 Swift Rd., Sarasota , FL – 34231  because I was being bothered with a couple of bunions  (yes I am at that age). I was very impressed with this Doctor.  He agreed that I had bunions, but he ventured that it was much too soon for surgery. (Now there’s a first). Instead he recommended some “arch supports” to relieve the tension for my feet, a tension which was exacerbating the bunions. What’s more -  he told me that he sells these arch supports at the miserly sum of $2.50 each (about 1/5 of the price in the local pharmacies). He is an honest man, and I recommend him to anyone with foot problems. So, a couple of weeks ago, having purchased some new walking shoes, I knew that I needed to buy a couple of new arch supports I took myself to his office. Once there, my mind went blank. I wanted to ask his front desk Clerk if I could buy some “shoe inserts” , as I could not rem...
Read more

It began in Bristol U.K. "A man dies" and "Jesus Christ Superstar"

Image
I well remember the swirling controversy in Bristol, U.K. when a (Presbyterian) Minister the Revd, Earnest Marviin created a ":Rock Opera", called "A Man Dies"  in and for his congregation in the Lockleaze area of Bristol, U.K. Earnest Mrvin I was a sixteen years old member of the Plymouth Brethren Church back in those days, so I most likely disapproved of "A Man Dies" .  We, (the Plymouth Brethren),  disapproved of everything! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I had forgotten all about "A Man Dies" until earlier today when saw these pictures on the "Bristol, Then and Now"  Facebook page.   St. James Presbyterian Church, Lockleaze, Bristol  The Bristol Then and Now page includes the following commentary: Lockleaze, Bristol  -  'Jesus Christ Superstar' began at St.James (Presbyterian) Chur...
Read more

The background, the couple, my friends, the wedding ceremony, the Shaykh, the Priest,

Image
The background   I have known the Keller/Bonsey family since 2000 when I became the Rector at St. James's, Cambridge, MA. They (Elisabeth Keller and the Revd. Steven Bonsey with their four children Noah, Sam, Josiah and Annie) had come back to Cambridge from Hawaii where Steve had been the Rector of an Episcopal parish. Steve had just been appointed as a Chaplain at Tufts University (no Sunday morning duties) so the entire family was able to enrich our common life at St. James's - which they did with great love and joy. I count them as friends and have stayed in touch with them since my retirement.  Noah, the oldest son is eloquent in Arabic (he spent a year in Damascus when Syria was a safe place).  He has developed a super career as an analyst of social media in the near East.    Noah worked in Tampa for a while a few years ago, so he and I were a...
Read more