HARVEST - A MULTICULTURAL CELEBRATION

On October 7, 2007 as the Christian Church worldwide celebrates World Communion Sunday we at First Presbyterian Church will also be celebrating HARVEST. Almost every cultural community in the world that engages in agriculture has some sort of Harvest Celebration to give thanks to the creator for the gifts of the earth. Our Multicultural Team found that our Jamaican Members and our Ghanaian members had a similar tradition of bringing a portion of the crops they grow to Church for Harvest Celebration where they are displayed in the sanctuary and then sold or auctioned to raise money for the Church. We will be doing the same thing, except that the profits from the sale of the donated produce will be used to help feed impoverished people in Hartford through MANNA, a program of Hands on Hartford (formerly Center City Churches).

In the Presbyterian Church we also receive an Offering for Peacemaking on this Sunday.

Come and join us on this or any other Sunday at 10:30 AM. First Presbyterian Church

TOO MUCH HAPPENING

Wow, it has been a while since I wrote, not because nothing is happening but so much is that I have hardly had time to think about it, much less write about it.

Last Weekend was Presbytery in Fairfield, this weekend we will travel to Stamford where my Niece Nicole recently moved, my sister Nancy and her husband will be visiting and we will all do lunch together.

The summer doldrums are really over at Church. On September 30 we will have a nationally known speaker and leader in the inclusive church movement, Michael Adee, to bring our sermon and also to present an adult forum. His title for the forum is "Is there Room in the Gospel & Church for Gays?" Click here for his bio and information about the day.

Also Just announced: we will be traveling to the Gulf Coast of Mississippi for an inter generational mission trip to aid with Katrina Recovery. The trip will be in February and already 22 people are signed up. We are inviting anyone who wants to help to join up, we will make all arrangements and take care of modest accommodations and travel. As a bonus for working four days we will have a day to enjoy the recovering city of New Orleans, the Big Easy. All the details here. Want more information still or want to sign up, call First Presbyterian Church at 860 246-2224.

Check back tomorrow and I hope to have information on HARVEST, a multicultural celebration at First Presbyterian Church on October 7, 2007.

Evangelism Conference

Over the Labor Day weekend I attended the National Evangelism Conference of the Presbyterian Church (USA). The setting was the Gaylord Opryland Hotel and Convention Center in Nashville Tennessee. They claim that this is the largest hotel in the United States. I must say that it was a beautiful setting with all its indoor gardens under three huge domes; the facilities for our meetings were very nice. Getting around was a challenge to those with mobility limits. I walked over 6 miles every day getting from room to meeting place, to restaurants, back to room, etc. Although it was possible to get to all the rooms and meetings by wheelchair it meant some circuitous routes to take ramps and elevators.

More pictures I took at the Conference.

It also seemed to be inappropriate for a Church group living in an awareness of the fact that two thirds of the world's people do not have enough to eat to meet in a place that I would describe as a temple to consumerism. I actually used the word obscene to describe my reaction to the great expense it takes to maintain the tropical gardens. It was not that the costs to participants were so outrageous, I probably paid as much for a room in a second class hotel in New York City at the multicultural conference several years ago. It is the total cost of maintaining this luxury facility, the carbon foot print something like this must occupy, and the isolation from the poor. Even in the most luxurious hotel in a major city the poor at visible when you step out into the streets. Here the impoverished were miles away in the city.

I was shocked not just how luxurious and isolated this was, but how quickly I became acclimated to this level of luxury, hardly thinking about the level of excess I was experiencing.

As for the conference I thought there were many good things going on. Jim Wallace from Sojourners magazine spoke on the first night, (read Presbyterian News Service Article) we had some great preachers. A two and a half hour worship service with communion seemed a little over the top, and then the preacher was far from the best that the conference presented. Although most of the music was not my style it was impressive and appealing to a younger generation. One of the most impressive services was with the Hot Metal Connection faith community leading. The co pastors presented the sermon barefooted, jeans and a tee shirt, holding a fishing net and engaging in dialogue between Peter and Andrew. They were wonderfully gifted and very thought provoking. It was the first event of the conference and for me the highlight of the conference. I went to four workshops, three either good or excellent, the last so boring that I could not stay for more than one hour of a 90 minute workshop.

A very slippery slope

One of my seminary professors shared this story with us about why his family left Germany. One day as his neighbor was preparing dinner she grabbed one of her chickens and stretched out its neck on a tree stump in the yard and as she cut off its head she said "I wish this was Hitler." The next day she was arrested and never seen again.


Is this not the frightening bottom of the slippery slope down which we are falling when a federal Judge rules that a school can discipline a girl for using a common vulgar insult in reference to school officials in a blog entry posted from her home computer. Read the story What happened to the Constitution and freedom of speech?

FIRE THE PRESIDENT? WHY NOT? NO CORPORATE BOARD WOULD TOLERATE A CHIEF EXECUTIVE WHO IS AS INCOMPETANT AS BUSH. Read an opinion piece from the Christian Schence Monitor.

I'M BACK - LOOK AT OUR NEW GRANDAUGHTER, Abigail was born July 2, 2007; this picture was taken at 6 weeks.

I know it is more than a month since my last entry, but we have been away to visit our family in Sterling, Virginia and Friends in North Carolina. Here are some pictures that I took. We did lots of reading, lots of loving the grandbabies, and enjoyed the beach on Holden Beach, the shrimp and the relaxed life near the shore of North Carolina.

I am off to Nashville on Friday for an Evangelism Conference and promise to actually write about something when I get back.

Saturday we went to a matinee performance of Eve Ensler’s new play, “The Good Body”. This production at Hartford Stage does not feature Eve herself as an actor, but instead Brigitte Viellieu-Davis plays Ensler, with two other actresses - Erica Bradshaw and Judith Delgado - taking on multiple parts. It was a sparsely attended performance, although having never attended a Saturday Matinee I don’t know if this is typical or not. I did note that as a man I was in a definite minority. For a long time I was the only man in the theater; by the time the play began there were still less than three dozen of us. This was probably more men than I saw at the production of “The Vagina Monologues” in the much larger Belding Theater at the Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts.

Both Kathleen and I enjoyed the play immensely, it is about women’s body image from the point of view of Eve whose problem is her stomach which is not as flat as she wants, and dozens of other women from across the world who tell her their stories about their own special body part (or parts) with which they are unsatisfied and what they are doing about it. I particularly loved the Indian woman who finally kicked Eve off the treadmill. She told her she did not use the machine to loose her “jolly” (that is her fat) but because it gave her so much more energy for living. She tells Eve “We are all trees, be your own tree.” Eve seems to embrace this advice and tells her husband who travels half way around the world to be with her that she is a tree. He tells her he loves her tree and tells her several good things he loves about her tree, including that it is “sturdy.” “What do you mean, are you saying I’m fat”, and she is off again; he gives up and goes home.

I guess I can identify with her problem with her stomach since I have an issue with mine. My wife does not completely love and embrace this part of my tree. Sturdy is not the word she uses, rather she has said on several occasions that I look pregnant. Anyway it was fun, enjoyable, and hopefully good for every one who sees it.

Read a review of this production in the Hartford Courant or from the New York Times where it was published just last Sunday in the Connecticut Section.

Letty Russell, Family Visit, Picnic and Consultation.

I was much saddened to learn about the death of Letty Russell who has had a tremendous impact on the Presbyterian Church and particularly on the lives of women and LGBT folks. More Light Presbyterians has a nice tribute to her on their website, click here to read this. She served as co-chair of Presbyterian Promise here in this Presbytery for a while and was also active with Love Makes a Family. It was always a pleasure to be in her home for either business or social events.

Last week Kathleen and I had the chance to visit with our family including our newest granddaughter who was born on July 2, 2007. Here are some more pictures of her and her sister.

Last Sunday the Youth of our Church hosted a Picnic on the Church Lawn as a fund raiser for their mission trip to San Antonio, Texas (They leave on Saturday). Here are some more pictures.

And finally, playing catch up after not updating for a while, we had an exciting meeting of our Church leadership on Tuesday night. Twenty three folks attended this beginning event for an 18 month consultation/partnership with our Presbytery to look at the future of First Presbyterian Church, particularly in light of my retirement in a year and a half, and our growing realization that unless some radical changes take place we will have exhausted the unrestricted portion of our endowment in less than ten years. There was a lot of positive energy and hope, and people seemed gratified to hear our Presbytery executive talk about the strengths and the importance of this particular Church in the Capital of the state. (He didn't even mention that we were also the oldest continuously operating Presbyterian Church in the state.)

NEW GRANDAUGHTER

Our new granddaughter Abigail Ann Thormes arrived this morning at 5 AM. She weighed seven pounds five ounces and is 20 incles long. Here is a picture her father sent from his cell phone.

Her sister Hannah Marie also had some pictures taken last week. Click here to view them.

Theology for Liberal Presbyterians and Other Endangered Species, by Douglas Ottati, professor of theology at Union/PSCE in Richmond, VA.

The title sounded very promising when Lois sent me a note on the book, but it was really a dull read. Not that I disagreed with the author, I was in agreement with him practically every step of the way. He talks about the centrality of grace in reformed theology and how a grace centered theology leads to acceptance for all people because God has accepted all of us sinners in his marvelous grace.

Here is a paragraph that I am totally in agreement with: “We belong to the God of grace. Once we are clear about this, a number of things follow. First we live in assurance, refuse to set limits on the extent of God’s faithfulness, and refuse to exclude anyone from the scope of Grace and redemption. We then work for an inclusive church, support a ministry of reconciliation, and invite everyone everywhere to lay hold of the assurance and confidence that come with the knowledge of a gracious God. Second we acknowledge the human fault and, without losing hope, maintain a realistic attitude toward the present age and its daunting challenges. Finally, we affirm that all people have worth, and we commit ourselves to public practices, policies, and leadership that respect persons, pursue equitable opportunities for the poor, and care for those in need.” (Page 20)

My problem is that it is dense writing, it lacks stories, real life examples, personal passion. Finding something I agree with is not the same as being interested in what is written.

Others may have a totally different reaction to his writing style.

It is solid theologically, although I am sure that the right wing of the Church would like to label him as a heritic. That would be a hard charge to sustain since he bases his theological conclusions on the very mainstream documents of the Presbyterian Church, the such as the Heidelberg Catechism, the Confession of 1967, the Book of Common Worship.

An A for theology, hardly above a D for entertainment value. I suppose some people might have the same comment about my sermons.

Going back to the quotation above, it does highlight a problem I have been having, maintaining hope, hope for an end to the sensless war in Iraq, hope for making significant changes in our state (see my blog for yesterday), hope for changing the Presbyterian Church into a truly accepting community for all people.

Here are a few paragraphs I wrote to a friend earlier today in regard to my frustration with the past legislative session.

I hear you when you say we built relationships, we got people thinking about our ideas, we laid the groundwork for success in the future. It is what I have been telling myself for the past 50 years of political advocacy. Some day our efforts will bear fruit. Next year in Jerusalem.

My problem is that as my career comes to an end I have a greater and greater difficulty in believing what I keep telling myself. There are times when I think perhaps my Communist friends from years ago were right that we need a revolution, not simply more effective advocacy.

The whole direction of our country is wrong, our civil liberties are being eroded, the power of the few is growing greater and greater and the power of the people is shrinking. Is it really possible for this or any citizens group interested in justice to really impact the legislature in the face of established power and special interests?

While we could not win for the working poor a few hundred dollars a year in earned income tax credits this is what is happening at the other end of the income scale. http://www.courant.com/business/hc-worldwealth0628.artjun28,0,483148.story

Is the ballot box the way to change our state, our country, our world? The country effectively voted to end the war in Iraq, we expressed our national lack of confidence in the president and the Republican Majority, but the war rages on with 30,000 more troops in harms way and the body count rising every month.

Throw the tea in the harbor, over turn king George, storm the Bastille, remember Stonewall, end apartheid now!

Maybe I will be less frustrated next week and more optimistic about the success or legislative advocacy; or maybe not.

The 2007 session of the Connecticut legislature has come close to being an utter and complete disappointment. Considering the fact that the democratic party (supposedly the left or liberal party, in a reportedly liberal state) had a veto proof majority in both the house and the senate virtually no part of the liberal agenda moved very far forward. Click on the headings below for my take on the major issues. [All of these issues except the same gender marriage issue were identified by ICEJ as high priority issues.]

Tax Reform
Immigration Issues
Healthcare Reform
Education Issues
Same Gender Marriage
A Cynical View

The gold coast legislators sided with the republicans on the issues of tax reform; we have to do everything we can to help the rich get richer and pay less taxes while the middle and lower class rate payers get stuck with the bill. The complaint is made that progressive income taxes and the inheritance tax confiscate the wealth of the most affluent members of society. Well yes they do. Isn’t that what we should be doing; narrowing the gaps between the haves and the have nots? It is certainly the Biblical ethic beginning with the Jewish law of the Jubilee. Under the law of Moses in the year of Jubilee (See Leviticus 25 and 26), each 49th or 50th year, all land was to return to the families that originally owned it, all debts were cancelled. It is the divine plan for redistributing wealth; the divine plan for land reform. (This law was of course proclaimed in a time when wealth consisted primarily of property, not stocks and bonds and precious metals). Conservative religious people who are so eager to uphold the ten commandments and the holiness code might ask themselves why they are not supporting laws to confiscate excessive wealth and redistribute it to the poor.

Score the legislature as a total failure on significant tax reform; the progressive income tax was defeated. It looked as though progressive legislators might preserve the state Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) if they were willing to roll back or abolish the estate tax on estates over $2 Million Dollars. That was a draconian compromise, but in the end it was lost also.

Score one for the legislature for passing a bill that granted a few hundred undocumented immigrant children the right to pay the same tuition that other state residents pay at state universities. These are children whose parents are undocumented, but who have been living long term in the state, in many cases not even knowing that their status was not copasetic. (Anti immigrant agitators like to talk about these people as illegal immigrants. In the first place it is not a crime but a civil offense to be here with out documentation. Second the illegal term implies that all these people snuck in to this country by violating the law; many of them came here legally as tourists or other visitors, students, etc. but stayed after their visas expired. Others were here legally as spouses of US citizens or permanent legal residents and may not have even been aware that their status changed when they were divorced.) Unfortunately although the legislature passed this progressive measure the margin was slim and our wonderful and popular governor vetoed the bill. Put a black mark next to her name.

Healthcare reform seemed off to a hopeful start with State Senate President Pro Tempore Donald E. Williams, Jr. being a primary champion for universal healthcare in Connecticut. In the end all that was accomplished was to increase the compensation rate for healthcare providers under the Husky Plan. (Of course that is significant since the rates were so low that many impoverished children had limited access to doctors for non-emergency care, and no access to dental healthcare.) But the hopes of Don Williams, Healthcare for All, the ICEJ and so many other groups for significant progress were sadly disappointed.

What was accomplished? There is significant new money for education in the budget, but whether this will mean more money for the public schools in most districts remains to be seen. The governor’s education package was touted as giving a tax break to the cities; the state will give cities more money for education so the cities do not need to impose such high property taxes to pay for education. Every one wants property tax relief, but is the almost flat rate state income tax that much more desirable as a revenue source? What is positive about the shift in who pays for education is that the same tax base will be supporting the schools in every town. Without the new state money impoverished (i.e. low total property value) districts like Hartford simply lack the revenue to provide support for the high cost of educating underperforming students. Score the legislature a partial success in the educational field. (On the other hand are we doing all we can, and need to do to move toward universal access to preschool.)

The bill creating same gender marriages in Connecticut seemed to be off to a good start when the joint Judiciary Committee passed it by a much larger majority than even the most optimistic supporters expected. Unfortunately the Governor, bless her small minded heart, promised to veto it. The Leadership of the Judiciary Committee counted the votes and were uncertain about having a majority in both houses, and were certain that the votes were not there to override the veto so withdrew the bill before it ever came to the floor in either house. While this is considered a better strategy than bringing up the bill and seeing it either defeated or vetoed I am not sure it is a moral strategy.

One of the most dismaying facts about the Connecticut Legislature is that it is still dominated by an entrenched leadership and a incompetent and unprogressive governor. During the session everything is so democratic and open with public hearings and debate on every issue of importance, with everything exposed to the light, everything open the public scrutiny. Then the session ends with no budget, no tax plan and no spending plan, and the key leaders get together totally in secret and decide what is going to happen with state spending, then the legislature convenes and rubber stamps what the leadership has decided, without even knowing what is in the budget in most cases. Why have the 6 month long session? Just let the governor and a few other folks make the decisions and then call a session to rubber stamp everything. No matter how successfully I lobby my representative and senator, it doesn’t make a dimes worth of difference.

Running with Scissors and A Thousand Splendid Suns both engaging reads.

I finished Running with Scissors by Augusten Burroughs while we were in Virginia and found it hard to put down. It is a memoir, so apparently true account of his very sick and warped childhood. Actually in the midst of a most chaotic situation he maintained a relative sanity; which is totally amazing considering that his crazy mother gave him over to the care of her psychiatrist, who was crazier than a loon. Meanwhile Augusten is coping with his sexuality at the time of his puberty. He says that he has known all his life that he was gay, but of course at puberty this translates into first experiences with other men. The totally uninhibited atmosphere in the Finch household may have made it easier for him to cope with his sexuality than if he had been in a repressive home atmosphere.

Taken in isolation most every chapter is outrageously funny, but at the same time knowing that it is not fiction but a memoir gives a poignancy to the most hilarious situations.

It is really worth reading, and I totally understand why it was made into a major motion picture. I would like to read his second book, Dry. There is a one chapter excerpt in the back of the paperback edition of Running with Scissors which I read; but I resisted the urge to read the teaser, knowing I would be frustrated by having my appetite stirred up, but then having to wait for satisfaction.

Before reading Burroughs book I finished A Thousand Splendid Suns, a second book by Khaled Hosseini. His first book, The Kite Runner, was a best seller and I am sure that this one will be too. (Just checked the New York Times and found it was number one on the hardcover fiction best seller list.) Read the NYT review of the book. You may need to register with the NYT, but it is quick and painless and free.

Like his first book this one follows the life of one family with the very prominent backdrop of Afghan culture and recent history. Over the course of the book the lives of the two women, who come to be married to the same man first and best friends later, move through the changes with the take over of the Mujaheem, then the Taliban, The Russian Occupation, the return of the Taliban, and then the American Invasion. The repression of women is a major theme in the book including a celebration of the relative freedom of women in Kabul when we first experience this city and the total repression of women (and everyone) by the Taliban.

It is a complicated family drama with many twists and turns along the way, it was a page turner that I thoroughly enjoyed.

What have you been reading? I am always interested in knowing what my readers (assuming I have any) are reading and how you are enjoying your reading? Recommendations for my summer vacation?

We visit the family.

We had an opportunity to travel last weekend to Sterling Virginia to visit with our family there, and particularly to see our now 16 month old Grand daughter Hannah Marie. We took some pictures which you can see.

Hannah is expecting a new baby sister, Abigail Ann on or before July 1. We will be back to see them in the middle of July. The Father's parents will be with them for this birth.

Nightingale sang a disappointing song.

The last time I saw a drama at Hartford Stage I said that it exceeded my expectations because I usually have low expectations for one actor plays. Last Sunday I reverted to my normal opinion of one actor plays. My reaction to Lynn Redgrave’s play was to fall asleep. Repeatedly. Kathleen was vigilant to wake me before I started snoring (I think).

The play, Nightingale, which was written and performed by Lynn Redgrave, is the story of her grandmother’s life, or more accurately Lynn’s imagination of what her grandmother’s life must have like. The story was at least moderately interesting and does reflect “what challenges an English woman born at the end of the nineteenth century might face.” (from Stage notes by Christopher Baker.) Unfortunately it was a very ordinary and sheltered life, and just not that very interesting.

The critic in the Hartfort Courant thought that the acting was stronger than the play. Click here for review. I thought the opposite, I thought that Lynn’s acting was abasmyl. Her voice droned on and on with very little variation, this is what I found most deadly. James Lecesne in I am My Own Wife was a master of dozens of voices, it seemed like there was a cast of several dozen playing out the drama, but Sunday night it was only Lynn droning on and on.

Of course that is only my opinion, Kathleen enjoyed the play greatly, and a lot of people were quickly on their feet for a standing ovation when the play was over. Needless to say I was not one of them. I also noticed several people who left in the middle of the 90 minute performance. There were no intermissions.

They did have a “High Tea” and Jewelry exposition/sale in the upstairs lobby before the show. I thought the difference between High Tea and just Tea was that High Tea had more substantial food, well I was glad that we had eaten a late lunch before the theater, although everything that I ate was quite tasty, just very dainty. I don’t know if this was a one night event by invitation to theater goers on this particular night, or if it also happened for other performances. We did see some interesting work and met one of the artisans who was quite talkative and we discovered that we had a mutual friend. Kathleen asked the price on one of her pieces because the little price tag was hard to read. Kathleen thought it said $65, but discovered that it said $650. Needless to say she did not get it as a belated anniversary present.

Youth have a message to bring.

On this past Sunday morning at First Presbyterian Church the children and youth were in charge of the whole service. They did a wonderful job, thought those of you who are part of the Church would want to see the pictures. Click here and enjoy.

The Walk Against Hunger this year was a tremendous success.

That's Me with Gloria McAdam, executive of Foodshare receiving my certificate. More Pictures from the Award celebration. I personally raised $1250, $100 was redistributed to other First Pres walkers so some of our younger walkers could receive a prize.

The total raised by Team First Presbyterian for the Walk Against Hunger was over $11,400!

Once again, First Presbyterian's walkers and contributors outdid themselves in helping Hartford's hungry people. Led financially by a fabulous showing from Holly Billings and Pastor Terry Davis, FPC raised $5300 dollars more than last year's not insubstantial effort and was well represented when eighteen members and friends cruised through the sunshine in Hartford's West End. Based on the on line fundraising totals we believed that Holly Billings was the top individual fund raiser and that First Presbyterian Church was on top of the list of faith organizations. At the awards presentation we discovered that one or two other individuals raised more over all than Holly’s $6100 plus. With $15,621 in gifts the team from St. Patrick St. Anthony parish (With a much larger congregation) bested First Presbyterian Church.
Thanks to all of our members who again so amply supported the FPC team!. Thanks again to Keith Rhoden, Barb Yates, Sue Jungi, Deb Meadows, Terry Davis, Carl and Shirley Dudley, Pauline Robertson, Holly Billings, Lois Maxwell, Saundra Spinelli, Marissa Cort, Esther Darko, Solana Gadson, Rusty, Grant, and Karen Spears, and George and Carolyn Blick for going out and asking their friends, neighbors, co-workers, and relatives to support this worthwhile cause. Special thanks as well to Marian Cooke for helping with the pre-walk luncheon as well as Robin Roberts for catapulting the team so far up the donor list.

For the second consecutive year, Center City Churches has been named the number one fundraiser among benefiting agencies with our 218 walkers amassing $60,090, the largest sum ever raised by a single agency. (Eighty percent of the gross total comes directly to the agency to support MANNA: 20 percent goes to Foodshare to support other Hartford-area food programs.) This distinction will bring a $500 bonus to the net total, with contributions are still being submitted to Foodshare in our name. Plus corporate matching gifts and contributions made directly to MANNA will take us over the top of the Walk Committee's s-t-r-e-t-c-h goal of $62,500!

Gloria McAdams, Executive Director of Foodshare reports on the overall results. In total, this year's Walk Against Hunger raised $442,000! A full 10% above last year's results of $400,000 and well over our goal of $430,000! Congratulations and thank you to everyone who made that happen!

CT Legislature draws to a close with unfinished work. Books I have and am reading.

In less that 48 hours the Connecticut legislature will adjourn as required by law, with much of their work still unfinished, including both the tax plan and the spending budget. I guess none of the Legislators mind coming back for a special session since they will be paid for the time they spend in the special session. I have always been surprised that the precedent which was common in Kentucky seems unknown in the northeast. When the statutory hour for ending the session drew near with the work incomplete it was common practice that the clocks in the legislative chambers were stopped so that officially midnight did not come until the work was complete.

What have you been reading lately? I am always interested in what is on other people’s reading list. I have recently completed The Children of Hurin, by J.R.R. Tolkien. The author has long since passed from this earth; his now aged son Christopher has pulled the book together from his father’s various writings, published and unpublished. I certainly enjoyed it, but not nearly as much as either The Hobbit or The Lord of the Rings Trilogy. I missed the Hobbits and Dwarves and Trolls; this book is concerned with the history of men in Middle Earth, along with the elves who did not make the great voyage to Valinor. There is one aged Dwarf remaining, but it is the later children of Iluvator (men) who are most involved in the conflict with the evil Morgoth and his armies of Orcs.

I also read a New York Times Bestseller, Labyrinth by Kate Mosse. Another of a number of books like The DaVinci Code that take their setting from legends of the Grail and alternate understandings of what the true Grail is. It is of course pure fiction set in Languedoc in southern France, but a very interesting page turner with an interesting theory to explain who were the heretics (variously known as Cathars, Bons Chetiens, or Albigensians) against whom the Pope declared a Crusade and who were the first objects of the inquisition.

I am now reading A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini whose first novel was the wonderfully popular The Kite Runner. I had printed out the coupon to buy the book at Borders Books and then failed to get there before the coupon expired. The next weekend in the Hartford Courant is an ad for a book signing by Hosseini at all places at BJ’s Wholesale Club. I am continually amazed at their selection of books, often including new releases and bestsellers, and the prices cannot be beat. Anyway I was enjoying the beginning of the book when we came to a new section labeled Book Two which picks up new characters 9 years later with no obvious relationship to the first story. I have gotten far enough to find the connection.

Early Summer Beauty. Last Week's Picture of the Week. Ghanaian Lunch





It is a beautiful time of the year, pictured is a rose blooming on a little island in the midst of the Church parking lot. At home I think our Rhododendrons are fuller and more beautiful than they have ever been before. Our peonies are coming into bloom, one oriental poppy with three blooms at once is making a spectacular show, and I counted a dozen smaller poppies in bloom this morning.





Holly Billings finally identified the swords into plowshares sculpture as being located in front of Hartford City Hall. To the shame of city maintenance the base of the sculpture has been buried under soil and mulch so the inscription calling for an end to gang violence in the city can no longer be read. Today shootings seem more drug related than gang related, although some are simply personal beefs over being disrespected or arguments over a woman. In any case a plea against violence seems relevant and needed when there is at least one a week and often more.




On May 20 we had a guest preacher from Ghana, Dr. Elizabeth Amoah, and following service we had a festive Ghanaian lunch. Pictured above is myself surrounded by some of our very attractive members from Ghana, Francisca, Juliana and Yaa. We dedicated a first gift of $350 to the Salvation Army hospital in Anum, Ghana and received a free will offering of over $800 for continuation of the work of building a relationship with the homeland of so many of our members. More Pictures

Last Sunday the members who were doing the coffee hour had a beautiful cake decorated in honor of the 40th anniversary of my being ordained to the Gospel Ministry. My pretty wife took me to dinner at Abbotts in the Rough, the prime place in Connecticut for delicious lobster dinners while overlooking the Long Island Sound. One person wanted to order 2 seven pound Lobsters, but they only had one that large on that day. I was standing at the pick up counter while they were showing it to him. It would take several people with my appetite to deal with that baby.

Same Sex Marriage - Picture of the week.

We have been publishing a picture of the week on the Church Web Site, all objects within walking distance of the Church. Do you know where this Biblically based Sculpture is located?

It was disappointing to read this morning that the proposal to recognize same sex marriage in Connecticut has been withdrawn for this session.
Story from CT News Junkie.
Comment from Love Makes a Family.
Those who count votes predicted that the bill would lose by a few votes in the House. We can be certain that the proposal will be back in the 2009 legislature, and likely that it will pass then.

Walk Against Hunger

Sunday, May 6 was a beautiful day for the annual Walk Against Hunger. A couple of dozen members and friends from First Presbyterian Church joined thousands of others in the great event. We shared lunch before traveling to the Hartford for walk check in. Two personal friends, Paul and Mary Berlejung from Vermont arrived in time for both morning service and lunch before participating in the walk. Several people who joined us for the mission trip, Joy and Beth from Manchester and Sue and Debbie from Provincetown also joined in lunch and walk.

First Presbyterian raised over $11,000 for the walk. Because our team designated contributions for Center City Churches, Center City will receive 80% of this amount for the MANNA Food Programs while the rest is retained by Foodshare to support over 350 Hartford Area programs. Overall Center City Churches hopes that the 45 teams designating their contributions to the event will bring in $62, 500 (Gross $50,000). The MANNA basic needs programs annually provide more that 65,000 meals to homeless and low-income individuals, 76,000 pounds (that is 38 tons) of food to struggling families as well as weekend meals for hundred’s of frail seniors as well as supplemental food for children through the weekend backpack program.

View Pictures