Povey Prattle

The Revd. Gwen W Sears is a friend and former colleague. She ‘phoned today to let me know that Philip Foster Desch had passed from this life at aged 90.  The lovely and wise Claudia Curry also called. Phil Desch was a member of St. Stephen’s Parish in Pittsfield, MA. I can say, with no reservations, that he was beloved by all. Phil grew up in Wisconsin. He was proud to tell one and all that he was adopted.  He worked for the General Electric Company in Schenectady, NY and in Pittsfield, MA. Phil never married.He shared a home with his mother Lillian Desch.  She had passed before I became Rector at St. Stephen’s, but from every account they had a delightful and gracious mother/son relationship. Phil had already retired by 1984 when I moved to Pittsfield. He had a lovely home on William Street.  He was active in retirement as Board member of the Visiting Nurses Association.  I recognised his skills and wisdom and asked him to join our Vestry.  He agreed...

From Ted in Alaska: “Was there a wedding or something today? ”   My reply : “ Yes. And hundreds of thousands of poor people died of malnutrition ” From a former parishioner, Joseph Anderson: "What if we cared about the hungry as much as we do about a wedding and a birth certificate?" From my nephew Mike Povey in England: "It's not 'The Royal Wedding'. It's 'Who can wear the most ridiculous hat?'." Nuff said.

So, this song would not go out of my mind all day.  It's a classic. Check it out at http://youtu.be/L8Hvzeut-VE

The Emperor Nero may or may not have fiddled whilst Rome burned.   But political discourse in America has become a distracting and increasingly irrelevant side-show. As Republicans lurch from the right to the far right their standard bearer (for now) has become that well known huckster Donald Trump. The “birthers” will continue to follow their weird mythology, whatever the facts.   “Birthers” have next to no interest in facts. The one fact which motivates their daily visits to Fantasy Island is that our President is black skinned. Members of the Tea Parties oppose every tax in sight, whilst gobbling up the benefits and services which taxes enable. Libertarians continue with their self cantered and self absorbed piety. My Democratic Party folks in Congress have lost their cohones. Our good President still tries to build consensus. Sooner or later he will have to understand that when we make a pact with the devil, the devil always cheats and wins. In the midst of al...

There’s nothing like expecting guests to make you realise that your windows haven’t been cleaned in a couple of years, and that your sheer curtains are truly quite dirty. Ada is a sweet cat, but she decided last night to poop all over her bed. (That’s a good argument against having pets share one’s own bed!) I suspect that Ada had sneaked some of the dog’s food (which she often tries to do), and that it had upset her stomach. So, I bought one of those micro-fibre dry mops a couple of years ago - ----- the sort where you can take the cloth bit off a plastic template to launder it.  I needed a new cloth mop head, and have been to five stores to get one.  Not a chance.  The mop’s plastic template has been re-designed, and the new replacement cloths won’t fit.  I think that manufacturer’s do this on purpose to make us buy a whole new mop rather than a replacement part. I am tired of being asked if I will get up early to watch the “royal wedding” on T.V.  I wish t...

Guantánamo reveals the ugly side of American foreign policy:  aided and abetted by peace and justice loving folks as the Chinese, Tunisians, Moroccans, Russians, Saudis, Tajiks, Jordanians, Algerians, Yemenis and Kuwaitis. Those of us who believe in the hard worn freedoms of “habeas corpus” should be utterly opposed to the horror of this American prison camp on Cuban soil. Those of us who are Episcopalians frequently say that we will “respect the dignity of every human being” (c.f. our Baptismal Covenant - for what it is worth).  We have nice words, but we fail to understand their political potency, and are therefore mute in the face of the criminality  of Guantánamo. Muslims must surely look at outrageous Guantánamo, and perceive that American (i.e. “Western”) values are inherently anti-Islam. Realists understand that the American President’s authority is limited. Try as he might, President Obama cannot force the closure of Guantánamo. The Congress has determined oth...

I was the rector at four parishes in the episcopal church between July 1976 and June 2006.   That means that I fretted and fussed about the services for thirty maundy thursdays, thirty good fridays, and thirty easter days. It is good that I fretted and fussed, for my goal was to help enable the very best which was possible in liturgy, music and preaching, in four very different parishes. I wanted the very best in liturgy, music and preaching.    I am not so sure that I wanted the very best for G-d’s people who worshipped in those congregations.  I wonder if I was so concerned with “getting things right” that I lost sight as to the reasons for getting it right – i.e. the praise of G-d and the edification (building up in faith) of G-d’s beloved people in those congregations. My questions must await the judgement of G-d. Now, in retirement, I’ve had five maundy thursdays, good fridays and easter days as a retiree.    Someone else had to fret and fuss ab...