dual personalities

Month: December, 2014

December 2, 2014

I couldn’t agree more

by chuckofish

PD-James

“My love for the Prayer Book began in very early childhood, before I could read – when I could only listen to it. Of course, it was the only book used then. Later, when I could read, during long, boring sermons I would read it and specially loved the instructions – for instance, those to priests for giving holy communion in time of pestilence. That conjured up pictures in my childish mind of the priest walking with the sacred vessels through the almost deserted village, almost certainly to become ill himself; or the prayers for when in danger on the sea, knowing that they would have been read by everyone on board, and the ship would almost certainly founder.

“There is so much history, romance, and great beauty in it. And the prayers like the General Thanks­giving and the prayers after com­mun­ion are so superb that they meet my need in praying much better than my own words do, and I still use them in private prayer.

“I enjoy services in other denom­inations, like those of the Reformed Church, or going to a Roman Catholic mass with a friend – but what is essential to me is an atmos­phere of devotion and concentration on God. If there’s a great deal of happy-clappy singing and an­nounce­ments of birthdays, and so on, I can see that it binds people together, but I don’t personally find it’s useful to me. I want silence, so I can concentrate on God – not just talking to him and giving him a list of my requirements.”

–Baroness P.D. James, who died last week, quoted in the Church Times, 2009

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December 1, 2014

“‘Sleepers, wake!’ A voice astounds us”*

by chuckofish

I had a lovely long holiday weekend. How about you?

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I ate a delicious Thanksgiving meal and celebrated the boy’s birthday the next day with tortellini and salad and leftover pie.

I watched 22 Jump Street, Planes, Trains and Automobiles, The Wizard of Oz,  La Belle et La Bête (1946) and Miracle on 34th Street (1947)–all of which I enjoyed immensely.

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I went to church twice on Sunday. I debated going to the morning service, knowing that I would be going back at 4:00 p.m. for Advent Lessons & Carols, but I thought I should go because it was the first Sunday in Advent and that means Rite I! As you know, I am one of the few people who still enjoys saying “And with thy spirit” instead of “And also with you”–so I went and I’m glad I did.

The service started off with The Great Litany (BCP p. 148-153) with all the great “Good Lord, deliver us” stuff, i.e. “From all inordinate and sinful affections; and from all the deceits of the world, the flesh, and the devil” and also “From all false doctrine, heresy, and schism; from hardness of heart, and contempt of thy Word and commandment.” It is so easy nowadays to forget about “the crafts and assaults of the devil,” isn’t it? Well, Good Lord, deliver me!

Our rector gave his usual nonsensical sermon, full of misquoting and mispronouncing, but I must say, that listening to him week after week has taught me a lesson in humility. While I am listening (and wincing), I inevitably come away with something. He is a brave soul to get up every week and try. He is no Phillips Brooks–although he attempted to quote him–and that’s okay.

After church I prevailed upon the OM to assist me in hanging the outside Christmas lights on our humble abode. The boy usually does this for us, but he was working on Sunday, and as the temperate weather was forecasted to end, I thought we better get to it. Of course, it was much more complicated without the nimble and manly boy, who executed this job previously with nary a grumble. It took us twice as long and the OM blurted out quite a few goddammits while breaking more than a few light bulbs and bumping his head. Anyway, the lights are up.

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Advent Lessons & Carols was lovely too. We sang all the good Advent hymns we didn’t sing in the morning. I got to read the second lesson–Isaiah 40:1-8 which is “Comfort, O comfort my people…”. The best (or at least most adorable) reader was a little third grader who read Zechariah 2:10-13 with a lisp right out of central casting. “For lo, I will come and dwell in your midst…”–she had a little trouble with “midst” (and who doesn’t)–but so cute.

Photo from the Grace Church Facebook page.

Photo from the Grace Church Facebook page.

Afterwards we had the annual Advent dinner and “craft”. I passed on the craft. I got hugs from the boy’s old friends, Michael visiting from NYC and Weezer visiting from L.A. It was a win-win.

Have a great week!

*Hymn 61, The Hymnal 1982

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