A Familiar Stranger

I saw a stranger today.
I put food for him
in the eating-place
And drink
in the drinking-place
And music
in the listening-place.
In the Holy name
of the Trinity
He blessed myself
and my family.
And the lark said in her warble
Often, often, often
Goes Christ
in the stranger's guise.
O, oft and oft and oft,
Goes Christ
in the stranger's guise.

Read more at: http://www.faithandworship.com/Celtic_Blessings_and_Prayers.htm#ixzz2IXycz4wg
Under Creative Commons License: Attribution

Sermon Title: Communion: Why Do We Do It?

(Preached at Martin Luther King Community Presbyteerian Church, Springfield, MA) 

Before I get started on the text this morning there are a few things I want to share with you, so those of you who time the sermon don't start yet, I'm just talking right now. I have been retired now for 3 ½ years and two months ago at Valley Presbyterian was the first time I preached since retiring. After preaching over 2000 sermons, and being responsible for leading worship more times than that it has been a real blessing to be able to sit in the congregation and participate in worship in a very different way than I experienced as the worship leader. I realized after preaching at Valley that I was ready to preach again, not every Sunday, but once in a while, and so I was glad to accept Rev. Sylver's invitation to bring the sermon this morning. I do want you to know that it has been a very special blessing to worship in this congregation. I spent the first 23 years of my ordained ministry as pastor of an African American Presbyterian Church and in the 19 years since I have missed the unique experience of participating of soul filled, spirit filled worship without the tyranny of the clock. When I was asked to preach at Valley I asked what time the service began and the worship chairwoman told be we worship from 10 to 11 am. It was quite clear that Church didn't expect to finish at 11:05, much less noon or after.

It has been a special blessing to be a part of this particular congregation, there is a real spirit of love, welcoming and caring here. You have one fine Pastor in Rev Sylver and I have seen major growth in his preaching and leadership in the time he has been here. I have told her personally many times but I want to say it publicly today: Evenus and the spiritual voices have been a huge blessing and to me and to the entire congregation. I have worked with a great number of musicians over my ministry, some classically trained in universities and some self taught, a few have been as good as Evenus, but no one has been any better. Evenus has the holy ghost in her hands and in her voice and in her soul and she has really raised the worship in this congregation to a new level of spirituality. I have been blessed to be a part of this fellowship for these last 3 ½ years and I hope this morning that I can be a blessing to you.

Let us pray: May the words of my mouth and the mediations of my heart be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, our rock and our redeemer, AMEN.

Today is World Communion Sunday, a special time when a large number of Protestant Churches celebrate communion on the same Sunday as an expression of our unity in one common faith. It seems on this occasion it is appropriate to spend some time considering the meaning of the Communion, or the Lord's Supper as it is also called. We know that we do it every first Sunday in this and many Presbyterian Churches, many Churches, including some Presbyterian Churches celebrate the Lord's Supper every Sunday, while there are Churches that celebrate this sacrament only a few times a year. The question however is not how often we celebrate the sacrament but why do we do it? What does it mean? What blessings can we receive by participating in the sacrament? How did it start in the first place?

Although we usually think of the communion in terms of the Last Supper I believe that the true origin of the sacrament can be found in the feeding of the multitudes. We read Mark's record of on of these holy meals in the wilderness and we see that Jesus took bread and gave thank to God, and broke it and gave it to them. This is exactly the same thing that he did at the Last Supper, and which he did repeatedly with his disciples in a variety of settings. These meals they shared together were fellowship meals, they were a time when those who ate enjoyed communion with Jesus and with one another. They came closer together because they ate together, because they broke bread together. So we say this is the family meal of the people of God, the Joyful feast of the people of God, anticipating the time when people will come from east and west and north and south to sit at table in kingdom of God.

Eating together is a holy thing. In our modern times when we seem so busy that we can't find time to sit down together for family meals we are missing something terribly important. There is scientific research to show us that children who regularly sit down with their families for dinner are better adjusted, do better in school and have better and more stable families and relationships in later life than those children who missed this opportunity.

Sitting down together, Breaking bread together, brings us together in a different way that simply meeting together for a meeting or conversation. There is a certain intimacy that develops when we share a meal together. If you want to develop a deeper relation with some one, either a friendship relationship or a romantic relation isn't it common to do so by eating together. Lets have coffee together, lets get together for a drink, lets go out to dinner, or most intimately, would you come to my house and we will have dinner together. This seems to be true across cultures, meal hospitality is almost universally a means of establishing deeper relationships. When Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates was arrested for breaking into his own home there was such a great uproar nationally about the racism involved in this incident that the president invited professor Gates and the policeman who arrested him to come to the White House, not just to talk, but to have a beer together and to experience reconciliation

At First Church Hartford we had dinner groups of eight or ten people would come together six times a year and have a potluck meal in one member's home. This was done to promote unity, fellowship, within in the small group. I asked one of of our African Members why she never signed up to participate in one of these groups and she told me that with her background as an African American of her generation she couldn't imagine going into a white person's home for dinner. She had gone to school with white people, she worked with white people, she went to Church with white people, she was able to eat with white people at Church or even to go out to lunch with white people but she said, “I have never put my feet under a white man's table.” Well we remedied that before too long because she simply could not refuse her pastor's invitation to have dinner with us and a few other friends at our home and that broke down the barrier and she was able then to enjoy participating in other meals in the homes of Church members. That is how intimate it can be to break bread together.

These meals in the wilderness and on other occasions as Jesus broke bread with his followers were not only fellowship meals, but they were also holy meals, they were worshipful meals. In some mysterious way they were holy sacramental meals. They not only brought people into a relationship with one another and with Jesus who hosted the meals, but somehow they brought the participants into fellowship with God. In these meals in the wilderness people were lifted into the presence of the holy, the almighty, they knew they were in the presence of a loving God. The Gospel of John tells us that Jesus spoke about one of these wilderness meals and said: “I am the bread of life,” Jesus told them. “Those who come to me will never be hungry; those who believe in me will never be thirsty.”

The resurrection Church continued these fellowship meals as a substitute for the sacrificial temple worship which they had participated in before becoming Jesus people.

It is important then for us to remember that what Jesus said about worship. In the sermon on the mount Jesus warned his followers that it was not possible to truly enter into worship when you are not in a right relationship with your fellow worshipers. He said in Matthew 5 (23) So if you are about to offer your gift to God at the altar and there you remember that your brother has something against you, (24) leave your gift there in front of the altar, go at once and make peace with your brother, and then come back and offer your gift to God.

That was the problem with the Corinthian Church. They came together for worship and the Lord's Supper but their fellowship was broken by divisions and factions. There were hard feelings and resentments in the congregation, and when they ate it was not a common meal they shared, but each family or friendship group had their separate meals, so some were well fed and even drank too much, and others were hungry. It wasn't a family meal, but it was more like a tailgating event when one group is grilling steaks, another is having ribs, while some others are having hot dogs, and some nothing but a peanut butter sandwich. There was no true fellowship in the place.

Now I have had enough experience in Churches including this Church to know that we are not all united with one another, all of us are not of one heart and mind. I don't know who I am talking about but I am sure there are at least two people here in this sanctuary who are not speaking to one another. I want to make a suggestion to you this morning that can revolutionize your experience of communion. If there is some one here this morning whom you have hurt in some way, some one whom you know has resentment in their heart toward you I think before you come to communion you should go to that person and apologize to them. You could do it during the invitation this morning, not some day, not tomorrow or next month, but this morning during the invitation you could go to that person and apologize to them. And if there is some one here who has hurt you, some one you hold resentment toward you could go to that person and offer them your forgiveness. I'm not saying you have to, but you could even come together to the altar this morning and let the preachers and elders pray for you together, right now, this morning, before you come to receive the bread and the wine.

That is the first thing I want to say about communion this morning is that it is a holy fellowship meal, the joyful feast of the people of God, the family meal of God's family.

But secondly at the Last Supper Jesus made this last fellowship meal that he had with his closest friends a teaching occasion. This was the time of the passover, the first three gospel writers say it was a passover meal, while John says it was the night before the passover and that Jesus was crucified at the same time that the lambs were sacrificed for the passover meal. Which ever it was it was the season of the passover, they were in Jerusalem for the passover and the passover was on every mind and heart at the table. It the passover meal the foods on the table have symbolic meanings that help people to remember that night of nights when Israel went forth from slavery into freedom. The bitter herbs remind them of the bitterness of slavery; the salt water reminds them of the tears they had shed; and the lamb reminds them that on that night of the exodus every family sacrificed a lamb which they ate that night. They marked their doors with the blood of the lamb and when the death angel came sweeping through the cities of Egypt striking dead the first born of all the families of Egypt the death angel passed over the homes and families whose doors were marked with the blood of the lamb.

So Jesus took bread and used it as a new symbol to teach those present that night, and to remind those who like us who participate later the meaning of what was going to happen the following day. Jesus knew that he would be betrayed that very night and that on the next morning he would be tried and condemned to death. He knew that they would beat his, slap him in the face and take out the cat of nine tails and whip his back until it was raw and bleeding, he knew that they would take a crown of thorns and press it onto his head until the blood came flowing down his face. He knew they were going to take him out to Golgotha and nail him to the cross and hang him up to die, bleeding from his head and hands and feet, and when he died he knew they would pierce his side and the water and the blood would flow mingled down. He knew that when his disciples saw his body literally broken, and his blood shed they were going to look on what they saw as the triumph of evil, the destruction of everything that had been accomplished by his ministry. He wanted then to understand, and he wants us to remember that his death was a willing sacrifice he was making for the salvation of the world. He said this is my body, broken, my body broken for you. Eat this in remembrance of me. He took the last cup of wine and said this is my blood of the new covenant shed for you, and for many for the remission of sins, drink this in remembrance of me.

We celebrate the Lord's supper to remember Jesus, to remember his life, to remember his sacrificial death and to remember his glorious resurrection. Yes to remember his resurrection, for death could not hold him captive, the grave couldn't hold hold him prisoner but on the third day he rose again from the dead. And on that afternoon, and on several other occasions as he appeared in his resurrection body he broke bread and his friends had their eyes opened and they recognized him in the breaking of bread. In the Lord's supper we experience a holy fellowship meal, we remember Jesus, his life, his death and his resurrection.

And that brings me to the final significance of the Lord's supper: that when we break bread together we experience the real presence of the risen Christ. Communion is a time when by God's grace, if we allow it to happen, our eyes can be opened and we can recognize the presence of Jesus in the breaking of the bread, just as the two did who walked the road to Emmaus. Communion is a fellowship meal, but it is more than a fellowship meal, it is a meal of remembrance but it is more than a meal of remembrance; it is both of those things, but it is also a time when we can be lifted into the real presence of the risen Christ. It is a time when we can feed on Christ in our hearts by faith with thanksgiving. Jesus told us that whenever even two or three are gathered in my name there am I in the midst of you. But communion is this multiplied. In a powerful way Jesus in present in the Lord's Supper. The majority of Christians are in agreement that Christ is present in the Lord's Supper what we cannot all agree on is how he is present. The Roman Church and many others would locate the presence of Christ in the bread and the wine, while I believe with many Protestants that Christ is present in the occasion. Christ is our host, Christ is our food, Christ is present in the sanctuary, Christ is present in our fellowship, and Christ is alive and present in our hearts so that we can say with those who met him on the Emmaus road, did not our hearts burn within us when he spoke to us and opened the scriptures? May our eyes be opened to Jesus Christ this morning.

The doors of the Church are opened, and we invite those who desire to unite with this Church, or those who wish to draw closer to the risen Christ, and those who desire prayer because they have been reconciled with estranged brothers and sisters to come forward as we sing together.

I am preaching at Martin Luther King, Jr., Community Presbyterian Church. 14 Concord Terrace Springfield, MA on World Communion Sunday, October 7, 2012. Service begins at 10 AM. Come and join us for spirited worship, outstanding musical leadership, a welcoming community and the sacrament of Holy Communion. Peter Sylver, Pastor, Kathleen Ogden Davis, Moderator of Session.

Before it's everlasting too late.

Many Presbyterians think of the “invitation” in terms of revivals; many of those my age remember seeing on television hundreds of respond to Billy Graham invitations to accept Jesus. We may associate the invitation with tent revivals, Southern Baptists, evangelicals of Pentecostals, but take a closer look at the directory for worship: W-3.3501 An opportunity for personal response may also be provided during this time.

Although largely ignored by white Presbyterians majority African American Presbyterian Churches almost universally offer an invitation to Christian discipleship, or as it is often put; the preacher “opens the doors of the Church.” I was instructed in this practice at the first church I served as pastor, which was an African American Church. I faithfully opened the doors of the church week after week after week, with only a very occasional response. After months of this I went to the session suggesting that this was bad psychology and we should only do it once a month. D. L. H..... looked at me over the top of his glasses and said “boy (this was a sign that I learned to pay attention to) you never know, the very Sunday that you don't open the doors of the church might be the very Sunday some one has come to church to give their heart o=to Jesus.” That ended that discussion, but I found out that D. L. was much wiser than I. The very next Sunday when I opened the doors of the Church Annie B. J...... got out of her pew and came down the aisle. I don't think she had ever attended that church before, I certainly had never met her, although she lived within shouting distance of the church. The session met with her following the service and she said she had been sick and wanted to be saved before it was everlasting too late. She seldom missed Church in the subsequent months. She was sick, she had terminal cancer. I was her advocate when she was turned down for social security disability and we won the appeal. I was at her bedside as she was dying. Neither of ever regretted that she came down the aisle before it was everlasting too late.

Carl W..... was too ill to walk down the aisle, in fact he was too sick to leave his house. He asked one of his friends who was an elder in the Church what he needed to do in order to join the church. The elder brought the question to the next session meeting and we agreed to call him and arrange to visit him in his home. He said he was home and we could come any time so the session walked down the street and heard his Christian testimony and received him on the spot. We informed the congregation and kept him on the prayer list until he had recovered from his illness and began to attend on a regular basis. He joined the usher board and eventually became their treasurer.

Archie C....'s wife was a long time member of the church but he was a very occasional attendee. He had never been a member of any church, in fact he had never been baptized. As we became acquainted I discovered that he had been a heavy drinker and a gambler. According to him he had done some very bad things. As time went by he became more and more faithful in his attendance, always sitting on the very back pew in a section with a number of other older men. I discovered that he had been visiting several of the sick and shut in members of the congregation and one of the older ladies told me that he said the most beautiful prayer. Many of us asked him why he didn't join the church, but he said he had been a very bad person. We talked about forgiveness, about God's grace, but he continued to hold on to his seat in the back pew. He said he hoped he wouldn't wait too late, but he was waiting for the Holy Spirit to move him. Every time the doors of the church were opened there were many prayers going up that this would be the day that Archie came down the aisle, but years went by and Archie held tight to his seat in the back pew. We thought of wiring his seat to give him a shock so he might think it was the Holy Ghost moving him out of that pew. The day finally came, and Archie did walk the aisle, there was much rejoicing in Grace Hope, and presumably also in heaven. I baptized him by immersion in the 80^th year of his life. In the process of drying off and changing clothes I ended up packing up Archie's towel and he mine. We never made the exchange. I still have the towel, although it is only a dust rag now, but I think of Archie every time I use it and how he finally got saved before it was everlasting too late.

Buy this House

64 Shepard Road, West Hartford, CT

Walk to West Farms Mall, Corbin's Corner and more from this large well maintained colonial home on a private lane off Shepard Road in West Hartford. Only minutes by car to West Hartford Center and Blue Black Square.

This move in ready home features a family room with fireplace, living room, dining room and large eat in kitchen as well as a half bath and laundry on the first floor. Located on the second floor are four large bedrooms and two full bathrooms. The large master suite includes private bath and TWO walk in closets (one even has a window). Two of the three other bedrooms are also over sized and feature walk in closets and all share a second bathroom.

The basement provides over 1000 square feet of storage, or finish for recreation room and/or workshop.

Situated on nearly half an acre the yard is heavily treed and landscaped with perennial gardens for bloom from April to October. Enjoy a brand new 300 square foot deck for cooking, dining, entertaining or just relaxing during the warmer months. The property is bordered by a babbling brook often visited by mallard ducks. Lawn has been recently aerated and seeded for a lush green lawn in the spring.

The new lower price of $349,900 also includes large refrigerator, five burner gas stove, Bosch dishwasher, loads of cabinets and counter top space and a full sized washer and dryer. Six window air conditioners, 7 ceiling fans, new basement dehumidifier, and all window treatments are also included. The sale price also includes a full size pool table (or owners will remove if requested.)

Other features: 2695 square feet of living area, two car garage, economical gas fired furnace for baseboard hot water heating, re roofed in 2007, gutter helmet eliminates cleaning leaves from gutters, newer flooring of laminate and carpeting, most rooms recently painted. Home built in 1986.

Offered by Jeff Rothman, the Rothman Realty Group, LLC. 860-985-5388.

Final Sermon at First Presbyterian Church

It was 11 ½ years ago that I began my ministry as Pastor at First Presbyterian Church here in Hartford, 41 ½ years ago that I was first ordained to the ministry of word and sacrament. I must say that it has been a good trip, a wonderful career. In many ways this particular church has been a wonderful experience to complete my ministry because this church is unique in so many ways. First Presbyterian Church has a long history of service to this community, holding on to its identity as a Church committed not only to staying in the heart of the city, but also its commitment to really serve the city where God has placed us. It is also one of a small, but growing number of Presbyterian Churches that are truly multicultural and multi racial as well as embracing diversity of theological viewpoints, including Gay and Lesbian members, and which is both multigenerational and includes people from a variety of economic classes.

In the time that I have been here we have moved from a quiet welcoming of homosexual members and leaders to being leaders in our Presbytery and denomination on issues of inclusion and marriage equality. At the same time our racial and ethnic diversity has vastly increased in these last dozen years.

Our growth or rather our lack of growth in the past dozen years has been disappointing, but at the same time we can take pride that after a long period of decline we have still received over 80 members, almost making up from the losses by death and other causes.

We have maintained our giving and continued a long tradition of generous support for missions. We have also made major improvements in the building, running a successful capital campaign that raised over a quarter of a million dollars.

In these years I have preached over 500 sermons, at least a few of which have fallen on fertile ground and brought forth some fruit. I have performed over a dozen weddings or in one case a civil union. I have visited you and your loved ones in hospitals and nursing homes; I have visited many of you in your homes, and broken bread with you on hundreds of occasions. I have baptized your children and buried your loved ones. I am going to miss these opportunities for ministry, but the time has come for a change in my life and in our relationship. After today I will no longer be the person you look to for pastoral care. For very good reasons our Presbytery’s ethical guidelines of former pastors prohibit my offering my pastoral services for members of this congregation. The session has made provisions to provide pastoral care in the period until an interim pastor is called, and when a new interim is in place she or he will be your pastor.

The truth is that in these nearly one dozen years we have become more than pastor and members. Many of you have become friends and friendships can continue beyond the end of the pastoral relation. I hope to stay in touch with at least some of you, and when we have moved to a new home in North Carolina I hope that some of you will want to visit with us. We live adjacent to a wonderful golf course and Holden Beach and the beautiful Lockwood Folly River are only minutes away from our home.

We read a part of a long farewell speech that Moses gave to the people at the end of his ministry as well as a part of Paul’s farewell speech to the Ephesian Elders. Each is quite long and heavy with advice and each is a valuable passage, but I am reminded that sermons of great length can lead to people falling asleep as poor Eutychus did during Paul’s farewell speech in Troas when falling asleep he fell out of a third story window and killed himself. Now Paul was able to raise him up to life, but I don’t have that power. I had to go shake up a sleeper who fell asleep in the back row several weeks ago and was glad to find he was still alive.

There is a single sentence in each of the passages that I would like to lift up in these final remarks. From Moses I would join him in saying, choose life. Chose life, choose hope, choose love, choose generosity and you will have a good life. From Paul I would remind you one more time that Jesus said, it is more blessed to give than to receive. Choose life, choose generosity and you will receive blessings from the almighty.

Retirement Party

The Church is hosting a retirement party on Saturday, February 7, 2009 at First Presbyterian Church, 136 Capitol Ave., Hartford, CT from 5 to 7:30 PM.

RSVP to the Church 860 246-2224.

My Last Sunday and last Sermon at the Church will be on February 1. Morning worship at 10:30 AM.

Mayor Mike Peters, long term mayor, cheerleader for the city, and just a nice guy passed away last week. He spoke here for a Palm Sunday Breakfast back when he was still in office. The top two images are from that event, notice June O'Neil has him cornered to talk about environmental justice, and he listened. He was always accessible.

Rick Green has a great tribute in his column this morning. Go to Rick's column.

About a foot of snow fell last night. It is lovely to look at But definately not fun to drive or walk in. I bought two Christmas books that I can use in place of a sermon on Christmas Eve. One is a poem by Maya Angelou which she wrote and read for the White House Christmas tree lighting in 2005. It is quite lovely and the book includes a CD of her reading it. I thought that after hearing her read it I might not be willing to read it in public.

The second one met my criteria of bringing a tear to my eyes, although none of the ones I read standing in Borders quite matched A Cup of Christmas Tea which I read several years ago, or several others I have used over the years. It is entitled Winter's Gift by Jane Monroe Donovan. Copyright 2004 I have seen it before, but never bought it.

I was quoted in an article on marriage equality in the edition of Newsweek dated today.
Gay Marriage: Our Mutual Joy Newsweek Culture Opponents of gay marriage often cite Scripture. But what the Bible teaches about love argues for the other side.
I am quoted toward the end of the article

The latest book that I have read by Paulo Coelho is The Pilgrimage. This is an account of a religious pilgrimage taken by the author on the road to Santiago. Having failed to complete the final steps in his ordination as a Master of the Order of RAM (a minor religious order within the Catholic Church) his master assigns him to walk the Road to Santiago, an ancient Christian pilgrimage route beginning in southern France and continuing across northern Spain. It is a journey traditionally taken on foot and is one of three major medieval pilgrimages each of which provided a plenary indulgence to pilgrims completing the journey. Coelho is told by his guide that there is a fourth secret way to complete the set, but we never find out about this in this book.

The book has been described as a companion piece to The Alchemist, another fictional account of a young shepherd’s pilgrimage across North Africa in pursuit of his dream. Although the shepherd is usually referred to as "the boy" we find when we first meet him that his name is Santiago. Coelho begins to write The Alchemist shortly after completing the pilgrimage to Santiago which was a pivotal event in his life and in vocation.

The Pilgrimage is much more than a travelogue; rather it is an account of Coelho's spiritual journey. Although many pilgrims walk alone or with a group Coelho has a guide for the journey who is also a member of RAM. Along the road he learns nearly a dozen religious exercises of meditation, imagination and discipline. Petrus, his guide, tells him that the way they are following is not an exclusive road; rather the physical and spiritual journey they are on is a simple quest for God that is available to the common person. While his studies to be a Master of the Order of RAM taught him esoteric knowledge available only to a few the common person can participate in the simple exercises Petrus was teaching. Paulo gives detailed directions for each of these exercises, obviously inviting readers to learn each of them.

Along the way with Petrus’s help Coelho becomes acquainted with his personal devil who is an ally in the material world as well as learning to depend on his guardian angel. He learns to overcome his fears and defeat demons. At the end of the journey Petrus presents him with the sword which was denied him at his first initiation.

While pilgrimage is no longer a major part of Catholic practice and most Protestants are virtually ignorant concerning the concept Muslims would certainly understand. Over one million Muslims make the Hajj each year. This pilgrimage is one of the five pillars of Islam expected of every Muslim who is physically and financially capable.

It is worth reading!

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We spent Thanksgiving at our daughter's.

in addition to Sabrena and Arthie, Hanna and Abby Arthie's family was there, his parents, his sister and her three children. It was a happy but hectic time with 12 people, including 5 children in one condo.

We had Pasteles, a latin specialty, for the holidays. I had never had them before although I have seen them on a Puerto Rician menu. The Dominican versions seems very similar. Wonderful! Interesting to come home and read a New York Times article about pasteles. link to article

We took more pictures that you can see by following the link.

I was asked to do a reflection on my involvement with GLBT issues for the Presbyterian Promise Newsletter.

Here is what I wrote

Back last August Dick Hasbany asked me to consider writing some sort of reflection piece on my involvement with LGBT issues in the 11 years that I have been a member of this Presbytery. Since my tenure with First Presbyterian Church is soon coming to an end (February 1, 2009 is my last day) and I will be leaving Connecticut within another few months, I guess I cannot delay meeting this request much longer. (I do not plan to terminate my membership in the Presbytery until I have voted YES for the “change B” overture at the May 09 Presbytery meeting.)

When I went to Florida in 1990 I was already firmly committed to full equality for GLBT people in the Church and in society. I knew this was not a widely shared commitment in a Presbyterian church in a small town in north Florida and decided that support for this issue would not be a part of my ministry. I felt I had been called to grow this Church located in area with booming population growth and that is what I did. Before the end of my tenure at this Church my views had been revealed in a number of ways including the fact that I spoke and voted against the adoption of the original B overture. The last year of my ministry in that place was a very unpleasant experience. As I was seeking a new call I discovered this Church in Hartford that said on its Church Information Form that they had welcomed people who differ by age, race, ethnic background, sexual orientation, family status, economic situation and theological viewpoint. This sounded more like the kind of place I belonged and I determined that I would not ever again try to disguise my views on this issue, or any other issue of importance.

Being in this Church and having made this commitment to transparency has made it possible for the Church and I to be partners in the cause of justice for LGBT people, as well as other justice issues. During my tenure here we have brought the Shower of Stoles to our sanctuary twice. We have brought or supported several overtures to the Presbytery to change our ordination standards and to recognize marriage equality. I attended the 2006 General Assembly as an overture advocate to support deleting B. This was an opportunity to meet with leaders in the equality movement from across the country. We were among the first Churches to join Presbyterian Promise and the second Church in the Presbytery (by one month) to become affiliated with More Light Presbyterians, to which I had belonged for years. Jane Spahr, Michael Adee and Heather Reichgott have all preached in our pulpit at the invitation of session.

I have been part of the steering committee of Connecticut Clergy for Marriage Equality, and have presided at one Civil Union service. Among my closest friends in ministry are the local Metropolitan Community Church pastors.

In many ways my support for these causes has been an extension of the same commitment to equality that led me to Washington in 1963 as a college senior to demonstrate with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and onto the streets of Louisville with his Brother A. D. Williams King to march for open housing in 1966. All of us regardless of race, ethnicity, income, religion, gender orientation or age are children of one loving creator. When one of our brothers and sisters is diminished because of discrimination we are all diminished and I feel we are all called to work for the equality of all people.

“In our obsessive wish to arrive, we often forget the most important thing, which is the journey.”
The Pilgrimage
Paulo Coelho
http://www.paulocoelhoblog.com/


I have read several more books by Paulo Coelho since writing about The Alchemist back in August. I find his writing absolutely fascinating, a wealth of the world’s wisdom, and a source of inspiration. As you may know he is Brazilian, his writings have been published in dozens of languages. On a world wide basis his works are best sellers, and I am told that he is very widely read and highly regarded in Brazil. Although he had a Jesuit education his spirituality draws from multiple sources, including magic and earth religions which have brought much criticism by the Brazilian Catholic Church. In The Pilgrimage he writes about his experience as a pilgrim on the road to Santiago.

In The Valkyries, another autobiographical book he writes some about his experiences in the world of Magic. His quest to become a Magnus, a spiritual master, took him into the desert southwest in this country where he was aided in his quest by the Valkyries, a group of women on motorcycles who go about preaching about the dawning of a new age, an open door to paradise.

Valhalla, the leader of the Valkyries is preaching in the following passage which should strike a familiar chord to those who have read Coelho.

“Have Courage. …Open your heart, and listen to what your dreams tell you. Follow those dreams, because only a person who is not ashamed can manifest the glory of God.”

“There is no sin but the lack of love…. Have courage, be capable of loving, even if love appears to be a treacherous and terrible thing. Be happy in love. Be joyful in victory. Follow the dictates of your heart.”

… “Remember that you are a manifestation of the absolute, and do only those things in your lives that are worth the effort. Only those who do that will understand the great transformations that are yet to be seen.”

Paulo wants the Valkyries to teach him to see angels. He knew how to speak to his guardian angel but he wanted to see his guardian angel as well. (In The Alchemist Santiago learns to speak the "language of the soul of the world"). Coelho describes the way that he speaks to his angel as “channeling”. This is a form of ecstatic speech, perhaps the verbal equivalent of automatic writing. Paulo teaches his wife Chris to listen to her second mind until it becomes silent, and then in the silence to began to speak without words, to speak the sounds that come to you. She at last makes a break through: “She began to move her head back and forth, wanting to do all that, and suddenly she wanted to make strange noises. And she did so. It wasn’t ridiculous. She was free to do as she pleased.” He describes it as the joy of a warrior entering into an unknown world. She needed to speak the pure language of the heart. “…she had to continue to speak, making the gestures that came to her, singing the strange melodies. Yes, everything must make some kind of sense because she had never heard these sounds before, these melodies, these words and movements.”

One thing that struck me as I read this was the parallel with speaking in tongues, which plays a prominent part in Coelho’s next book that I will review (soon, I promise) By the River Piedra I Sat Down And Wept.

Forty Years Later

In 1968 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was killed in the spring. In August that year Kathleen and I were in Chicago for the Democratic Convention, protesting the war in Vietnam. She had gone back to Louisville to work but I was still there in Grant Park the night of the “police riot” that filled the air with tear gas and the Chicago jail with protestors, many seriously injured by the police. Last night as over one hundred thousand people gathered in that same park to see Barack Obama proclaim victory in the presidential election it was a great day for the United States and for the world.

I would not possibly have believed forty years ago that I would see the United States elect a Black President. Not in my life time, but yesterday we did.

We said then “The whole world is watching.” Last night the whole world was watching this unprecedented, historic moment.

Thanks be to God!

We traveled to Richmond, VA for Kathleen's ACPE conference; we were gone from October 18-28. We actually spent more time in Sterling Virginia with Sabrena and Arthie and our granddaughters. Getting ready for Halloween we visited a pumpkin patch to pick out their gourds. They had a great time. For more pictures CLICK HERE.

I had an op-ed article published last Sunday, October 12, 2008 in the Hartford Courant. On October 12, 1998 Matthew Shepard died, brutally attacked and tied to a fence because he was Gay. The article marks this occasion and calls for action against Hate Crimes. Read the article.



Last week Connecticut became the third state in which same sex marriage is allowed. The State Supreme Court ruled under the equal protection of the law provision in the CT constitution that same sex couples have the right to marry. Same Sex Unions are not enough. This is what Love Makes a Family has been saying all along, and what Clergy for Marriage Equality has been working for. I am proud to serve on the steering committee of this organization. Our Church hosted a worship service celebrating the long awaited decision on Monday Evening, October 13. Unfortunately I was not able to be there since I was at a wedding reception.



Last week Presbyterian Promise and First Presbyterian CHurch, Hartford co-sponsored a display of 50 liturgical stoles the Shower of Stoles Project. See Pictures.

The Last Lecture

I just finished reading this extraordinary book by Randy Pausch with Jeffrey Zazlow.

I cannot overestimate the value of this book by an obviously brilliant professor whose “Last Lecture” was not an academic exercise in what you would say if you had one last lecture to give, but was in truth his last lecture, he had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and had an estimated 6 months to live. It is not a sad “be sorry for me” lament, but a joyful celebration of life entitled “Fulfilling your Childhood Dreams”. The book is about preparing and delivering the lecture, but really about living your life well however long you have. Randy admits, no brags about being Tigger, not Eeyore.

Click on the picture above to get to the book’s web page with links to actually view the video recording of the lecture itself, as well as reviews, news reports, etc. Click on the title of today’s Blog to get to the publisher’s web site for the book.

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This is a book that I bought and took on vacation, but didn't get to until I got home. I still will share with you my list of books I did read while on vacation and some comments about them, if not full reviews.

A Wonderful Vacation

We had a great vacation, spent some time with Sabrena and Arthie and our grandbabies. I haven't uploaded pictures to Flickr.com yet, but will put up a link when I do.

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Most of our time was spent in North Carolina with our friends. We found a builder for our retirement home, and chose a house plan that seemed closest to what we want. We talked with the builder about what changes we want, he said they were all possible and is sending the project to a draftsman. From there he will be able to price out the project, and if it exceeds our budget he said he will suggest where we can cut back.

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The whole thing is very exciting. We retire at the end of January, but do not intend to put our present home on the market during the winter, probably in April. If it sells fairly quickly we would hope to ready to move to NC in May, and that is the builder's goal for completion. (Having built a Church building and rennovated two others I know that construction delays are the norm, not the exception.

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We did do a lot of reading, I will share the list here within the next week and have some comments on the most interesting ones.

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We of course have been watching the Democratic Convention, quite exciting. I am looking forward to Obama's speech tonight.

More about the Alchemist

More about the Alchemist

It has been interesting that I have received three comments on my initial blog about the Alchemist since I usually receive none.

I finished the book and immediately went back to the beginning to read it again, finding much that I missed the first time through. It is truly a marvelous work. I went looking for other of his writings at Borders Bookstore and was surprised to find nothing shelved under fiction/Coelho. I wondered why not and on a hunch went over to philosophy where I found six or seven titles on an end cap display. I bought The Fifth Mountain and By the River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept. to read on vacation (starting Saturday!!!)

A few gems from The Alchemist. “There is one great truth on this planet; whoever you are, or what ever it is that you do, when you really want something, it’s because that desire originated in the soul of the universe. It’s your mission on earth…. The Soul of the World is nourished by people’s happiness…. To realize one’s destiny is a person’s only real obligation.” The speaker is an old man who calls himself Melchizedek and ends up charging the boy Santiago one tenth of his flock of sheep in return for his help. He also gave him two divination stones that he called Urim and Thummin. (Biblical references keep recurring through out the book.)

A camel driver tells the boy the secret of happiness. “If you can concentrate always on the present, you’ll be a happy man. You’ll see that there is life in the desert, that there are stars in the heavens, and that tribesmen fight because they are part of the human race. Life will be a party for you, a grand festival, because life is the moment we’re living right now.” The camel driver also said: “To die tomorrow is no worse than dying on any other day.”

A seer also talks to the boy about the present: “How do I guess at the future? Based on the omens of the present. The secret is here in the present. If you pay attention to the present, you can improve upon it. And, if you improve on the present, what comes later will also be better."

The Alchemist several times echoes works we have heard from the lips of Jesus. “It’s not what enters men’s mouths that’s evil. …it’s what comes out of their mouths that is.” On the same page he says “Remember wherever your heart is, there you will find your treasure.”

At the end the boy can speak the Language of the World. He spoke to the wind, and to the sun and to the hand that wrote all. To the sun he said “When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better too.”

I am looking forward to the other books I bought and you may read more book reviews while I am on vacation, or when I return.