Povey Prattle

I am just off to Lynchburg VA  (think the late Jerry Falwell!) for the marriage of Zhera Asghar to Noah Bonsey,   Noah and his family were/are parishioners at St. James's, Cambridge, MA I was last in Lynchburg in 1975.  My then girl friend Anne and I were on the second leg of what turned out to be a 9,500 mile trip around the U.S.A. and Canada by 'bus. We stopped in Lynchburg for the 'bus to be re-0fuelled and/or cleaned.  There was time for breakfast. Since this was my first foray into the South I decided to have grits  (for the first time) They were about as exciting as stale bread in warm milk. It was maybe six years ago that I was driving from Sarasota to Beaufort SC to spend Christmas with the Hauler family.  With me was my Brasilian friend Gabriel. We had an early start, and cut across the State, avoiding inter-states.  My breakfast time we were in the aptly named town of Stark, FL.  (There is a State prison there - the venue ...

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has withdrawn the  trademark protections of the Washington Redskins. You can read the story here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/us-patent-office-cancels-redskins-trademark-registration-says-name-is-disparaging/2014/06/18/e7737bb8-f6ee-11e3-8aa9-dad2ec039789_story.html The effect of the ruling is a bit ironic. It means that any John or Jane Doe can use the logos of the Washington Redskins at will.  In practical terms, the use of "Redskins" is now broadened rather than denied. The Football ream will of course appeal this governmental ruling.  This means that the ruling is moot for the time being.  You will be surprised to read that I hope the Washington Redskins organization will prevail in the Courts. Don't get me wrong.  I know that the use of "Redskins" to promote an American Football team is at the least insensitive, and at the most offensive. American Indian peoples have a proud her...

The American (Looney) Right Wing is filled with all manner of conspiracy theories - especially with regard to President Obama. Here is one they missed. The President arranged for Abu Ahmed Khattala to be sprung from Libya not because the said man is suspected to be involved in the attack on the American Consulate in Benghazi. NO SIREE .......  that would be all too simple. Here's the "truth" according to the Looney Tunes of the American Right. " Khattala was taken from Libya so that he could be given  Food Stamps and enrolled in Obamacare." Our President knows no shame.   O.K.  So I made this up.

Last Tuesday (10th June 2014) my Dermatological Surgeon (Dr.  Eva Bogart) lopped a squamous cell carcinoma from my right temple. Her staff made an appointment with me to remove the stitches from this minor surgery, and to attack another squamous cell carcinoma from my left ear.  This latter surgery was slated for today at 9:10 a.m.   Rd. .Bogart's office staff phoned me last Friday to remind me of the appointment.' That staff message said "Monday 16th June at 9:10 a.m.", My ears heard this , but my mind told me that this second appointment was slated for Tuesday 17th June. And so it was that I was at home this morning when a person from Dr. Bogart's staff called me at 9:30 to ask why I had not shown up for todays appointment. OMIGOD  I was so embarrassed.   I asked myself  "am I already getting to be ditzy?". The Office Staff were kind,  They asked me to drive at Dr. Bogart's office just as soon as I could. That I did. Those...

Sermon for 15 th June 2014. The Revd. J. Michael Povey at St. Boniface Church, Siesta Key, FL. Genesis 1:1 – 2:4a;   I preached here on Trinity Sunday in 2010 and again on Trinity Sunday last year. It’s getting to be habit forming.   But since, as a result of my sermons you are all convinced Trinitarians (!) I will pass over that piece of dogma today. Many of my family members are devout and devoted Evangelical Christians. I am greatly impressed by their passion for the Lord Jesus Christ and their subsequent commitment to the poor and needy.   We have recently spent some good and gracious time together. One of those evangelicals, a nephew and his wife have adopted two children. One of them is a sweet lad who has particular needs, arising from what we loosely call autism.   His adoption arises from a special form of sacrificial love on the part of my nephew and his wife.   My oldest sister is also a very fine evangelical Christian. The...

Many of we Episcopal Priests and other Ministers heard today of he untimely death (as a result of a very aggressive form of cancer) of the Revd. Dr. Ellen Bradshaw Aitken. Ellen was a superb theologian who taught at Harvard Divinity School,  and more recently  in the Department of Religion at McGill University in Montreal, Quebec. I first met Ellen back in the days when we both served in the Episcopal Church Diocese of Western Massachusetts. She played an important role in my appreciation of the ordained ministry. When I went to St. Stephen's in Pittsfield, MA to be their Rector I was mildly opposed to the ordination of women to the priesthood.   (Oh for goodness sake don't ask me why -  I was simply a slow learner!). My dear and beloved colleague (and now firm friend) was the Deacon at St. Stephen's. We stood together at the Altar Sunday by Sunday and enjoyed our shared ministry.  One day I asked myself  "would it make any difference if G...

Someone asked how Penne reacted when I met her at Ron and Charlotte's home (her holiday camp when I was away).  To put in bluntly -  she went stark raving mad with joy.   When we returned home she began to sing just as soon as we entered the driveway.  Then she whooped and hollered all around the house, sniffing the cats and flinging her toys every which way.   She will have a shock to her system quite soon.  I am taking a 48 hour break to attend a wedding in Lynchburg VA.  That's just before R and C take their trip to Normandy, so I have hired a pet sitter who advertised on the web.  She and Penne will have a "let's get to know each other" session on Saturday 14th.   By the by, when Penne was with R and C she was on an anti-histamine med.  Rather than placing the pill at the back of Penne's mouth, C decided to bury it in a scrambled egg.  That whetted Penne's appetite, so now I scramble an egg each  m...