From the Holy Spirit to Mussels

What a day!   

I preached this morning at the 8:00 and 10:00 Eucharists at All Angels Church on Longboat Key. 

I had gotten writer’s block earlier in the week, so simply could not preach from a full script as is my wont.  So I preached from notes.  Just before the early service I was in a bit of a panic since I felt sure that my  notes were inadequate.  So I put out a heartfelt plea to God the Holy Spirit, asking for the grace of inspiration.

Even as I preached I felt a surge of energy.  I do believe that I experienced the presence and power of that Holy Spirit, for which I can only say “thanks be to G-d”.

It was gratifying to hear many worshippers says that the sermon “spoke to their condition” (as the Puritans would have said), so again I was able to be grateful for the presence and power of the Spirit.

After lunch my neighbour Ed and I went to the Florida Studio Theatre to see  a play: “The 39 Steps”.  It is a bit of slapstick/farce/comedy, inspired by the Alfred Hitchcock film of the same name, which in turn was adapted from John Buchan’s famous novel.

This afternoon’s play was too wonderfully silly for words. I, and many others in the audience, were laughing out loud for most of the performance.  

It lived up to the FST  advance publicity which reads:  “Vintage Hitchcock meets Monty Python in this classic spy thriller!”

The play being over, Ed and I drove down to “my other parish”  (St. Boniface Church, Siesta Key) where we joined our mutual friends Bob and Ben for a free concert of music by J.S. Bach.  We enjoyed some exquisite moments from an alto  soloist (Rachel Nelson Assi); from the St. Boniface “Schola” Choir; and from guest violinists Lena Cambis and Sean O’Neil who delighted the entire audience with their performance of Bach’s “Concerto in D minor for 2 violins”.

As if my day had not been rich enough, Ed, Ben, Bob, and I then decamped for dinner at  “Miguel’s” -  a pretty fancy restaurant just down the road from St. B’s on Siesta Key.  Those of you who know my gastronomic proclivities will not be surprised to learn that I enjoyed a steaming bowl of Prince Edward Island Mussels. They were delicious.

But I could not leave this good restaurant without seeking out the Manager to alert him about a bit of  dreadful grammar in his menu, where my dish was listed as “Prince Edward Island Mussel’s”.  Aargh!

And now to bed.  To bed with gratitude for a day during which my body, soul and spirit were enriched.



Comments

  1. Anonymous24 January 2011 at 02:13

    Go Bro, we all know it should have been " Prince Edward Island Muscles"



    M

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous24 January 2011 at 09:25

    I always get confused with the use of the apostrophe. Could you not argue that as the mussels come from Prince Edward Island they "belong to Prince Edward Island" making mussel's a plural possessive?

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous24 January 2011 at 13:23

    Some people could "Start a fight in a phone box" no wonder he stays anonymous. It's Muscles pure & simple. No apostrophe! Stick to your guns Bro.

    M

    ReplyDelete

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