Povey Prattle

With the exception of a father or mother walking out with their new born infant or young child,  (or coming across Meryl Streep or Queen Elizabeth II and strolling around with her) the sure way of having conversations whilst peregrinating is to walk your dog, (or dogs). Of course there are a few folks who studiously ignore you because they are lost in thought. Doubtless they are making plans for a human colony on Mars, or for world peace and happiness. (Do not be taken in. Some of them are thinking about Mars Bars or Whirled Peas). Some others smile, but not at you.  They look at the dog and smile.  Dogs loved to be "smiled at", but not cats or goldfish. Those are well known facts.) Then there are those who are desperately anxious to know the breed of your dog. This happened to me as I walked my Penne this afternoon.  I met a very pleasant woman who is in this neck of the urban sprawl to visit her sister.  She asked about Penne's heritage....

The Revd. Andrea (Andi) Taylor is a fabulous Priest in the Episcopal Church. Her official title at St. Boniface Church (Episcopal) on Siesta Key, FL is "Associate Rector". That's a nice enough title for those who think that titles are important. BUT IT DOES NOT TELL THE WHOLE STORY. For you see, the story is more important than the title. SO HERE IS THE STORY. Andi has been a consistent, centered, trustworthy, wise, and discreet presence at St. Boniface Church in the 32 months since our Rector for  twenty  years (Ted Copland) retired. It's been an unusual and uncertain time in our parish life, with lots of joys and hopes, and with not a few sadnesses and disappointments. (That's normal in an Episcopal Parish after a long term tenure of a well respected Rector). In all of this our dear and beloved Andi has been a calm, wise, centered and un-anxious leader. Alleluia ( or words to that effect)

FIRST My nephew Richard (in the U.K.)  was a bit shocked that the news of the Miami arrest of Justin Bieber was considered important enough to be part of a main B.B.C. "news" broadcast I responded this way:   There is something dangerous in societies which promote youngsters such as Justin Bieber to "stardom", and there is something perverse when news outlets such as the BBC see fit to report on young Bieber's activities as if they were important. I have some more comments. Without condoning Bieber's excesses I feel so sad for him . He is caught up in an entertainment industry which is often evil, and which rarely respects true human dignity. In this industry Bieber is nothing more than a product (to be marketed and then to be discarded). It is also an industry which seduces teenagers such as Justin to believe that they are worthy of all manner of excesses, for example that this particular 19 year old should own a Lamborghini. That can...

For some reason  the following words from the 1662 (or maybe 1552/1549)  English Book of Common Prayer have been in my mind all day: "And we most humbly beseech thee, of thy goodness, O Lord, to comfort and succor and all those who, in this transitory life, are in trouble, sorrow, need, sickness, or any other adversity." It's been many moons ago since I heard or used these old-fangled words in church.  Yet they have been in my mind for new-fangled concerns for my friends who are in dangerous places. There is Kyle.   I got to know him when he and his mother worked in one of our local supermarkets. They were both amongst the cheeriest and most efficient workers there. Now Kyle is in the United States Air Force.  He is serving a six month stint in Afghanistan .  I worry and pray for him every day. There is Noah.  He is the oldest child of my very good Cambridge friends Elizabeth Keller and her husband the Revd. Steve Bonsey (they - and...

SILLY Cartoons from the monthly paper "Funny Times"   ==============================================   SUPER     My Staten Island cousin Kippy's  Newfie out in the snow today   Today, from Don Morton  a Facebook friend in Fairbanks, Alaska

Today was a national holiday in these United States, but you would scarcely know it. Apart from the closing of Federal, State, County and City functions (e.g. all government offices closed, no delivery of mail, public schools closed) life has gone on as abnormal (although the banks have been closed  in what is the American equivalent of the British Bank Holiday). For today has been the U.S.A. holiday known as Martin Luther King day. MLK needs no introduction, and the creation of a national holiday in his name is laudable indeed. Yet:-- 1. Yesterday my  local Episcopal Parish made no mention of Dr. King, or of the ongoing  sins of racial injustice, despite the fact that we pride ourselves as being a "progressive" Church. (Come to think of it I have never in seven years heard  any sermon at St. B's about the sin of racism, nor indeed of any sin !). 2. I have no reason to be proud . I intended to attend a MLK service at one of the Black Chur...

At the very moment when I got to the entrance foyer at St. Boniface Church, Siesta Key, FL  for the 9:00 service this morning I realized that I had left my permanent name label in my car. I thought "dearie, dearie me" (or words to that effect), and then decided that I would not walk the 300 yards to where my car was parked, but that I would use a temporary name label from the stash in the Church foyer. Some of my best buddies were in the foyer. I said (feeling unusually silly) "I think that I will make a  name tag with a false name to see if anyone  notices". (I had thought to write  name tag with the name "Horace") But one of my foyer pals said "write Sam on your tag". This I did. Katie, my regular pew mate, was the first to notice my new and false moniker.  I told her that I was being silly (how unusual) and she said " I think that you look like a Sam. That would be a good name for you". Another parishioner said (with ...