DEO+ on STX #10
11 July 2009

THE SHACK
We began another book study session this week, using the novel The Shack, by
Wm. Paul Young, windblown Media. At our first session, July 8th we had ten folks; we may meet for 6 or 8 weeks. I have cleaned out all the Island bookstores, ordered from the “mainland” and on-line. Our folks read on many-levels, speed, content, and theological maturity. This is a growth opportunity for theological reflection. Maybe we can provide an atmosphere for dialog and faith identification using the novel to identify “my story,” reflect on our personal experience of faith, prayer and relationship with “PAPA.”

BABS has returned!
On Saturday, June 27th, Babs’ Mom, died in her sleep at age 95; she had been living in an assisted living center for a number of years; it was her time; the family was ready; she was ready. Babs had traveled to Jacksonville, Florida for an assembly of children and grand-children/family portrait with Marge Watts Infante in the center. Babs returned on Sunday, July 5th; she had been “off Island” for three weeks! We were so glad to see each other!

The Bishop’s Visit
+E. Amborse Gumbs, the Episcopal Bishop of the Virgin Islands officiated at the Patronal Festival for Saint Peter’s Church on June 28th. Our attendance almost doubled. Numerous folks from others churches attended. The choir was made up of Deanery voices; all the local Priests and Deacons attended. Our Patronal banquet was on Friday evening. We laughed, sang and enjoyed eating as a Church family. A grand reception followed the Sunday service at new time of 9:30am to accommodate the other parishes and choirs. It was a grand affair.

Saturday, June 27th was cultural day
Think Caribbean bazaar! People of various island origins served up their favorite local dishes and unique food. Delicious variety. Sometimes I was not aware of exactly what I was eating, but for the most part it was scrumptious. Our Quadrille dance group from St. Peter’s preformed; a local guy did the DJ bit from a tent on the grounds; the loud speakers brought in the general public after work. We sold out of food; a good thing!

Emancipation Day
July 3rd a local holiday, back-to-back to July 4th. There are lots of parades and party atmosphere for three or four days straight. Another excuse for serious parties, shore camping and holiday mood-days-off! Fireworks, of course!


Point Udall
This is the most Eastern Point for United States territory. The Sun touches first in the US. High above the crashing sea, one watches Brother sun come out of the sea and light up the sky turning clouds red, pink, green and purple as the ball of eternal fire shines upon us breaking the dawn of darkness. Point Udall is an easy five mile drive; a right turn out our gate; over bumpy roads and there for the glory of the Sun-Rise moment at the memorial to the year 2000, a quasi-stone-hinge-sun exhibition engineered on the solar meridian axis angles and astronomic calculations of higher physics that I do not understand! It’s a historic spot. Get up before first light, stumble out the kitchen with a thermos of coffee, bump along the road, awake to the reality of the Earliest Sunrise in the US! God is always present. Local Druids grove it! Easter people get it! Impressive!

Mongoose
Imported by the Danes to control the rats in the sugar cane fields, the mongoose are short legged brown creatures with long tails; they scurry across the roads. Because of the introduction of these tiny animals, we have NO snakes, NO land egg laying birds, NO squirrels, NO turkeys, but the rats continue because they are nocturnal and the Mongoose are day creatures! The plural for Mongoose is NOT Mongeese, but Mongooses. Go figure. Nobody tells how a Mongoose tastes. Some must have eaten or tried it out. Not that hungry, No thank you!

Mama-Wanna
At a bar in the West end, really a tourist trap, serves a powerful “local drink”: MAMA-WANNA. It’s not bottled “in bond” but has a heavy kick and after cut.
A dark honey-rum-cinnamon concoction; a play on words for Marijuana; it might have some of “grass” in there also, who knows? A little goes a long way!
There, at the road-house-beer-joint-in-the-woods, one can watch & feed cans of hooch to the “beer drinking pigs” at the bar in the woods of the Western “rain forest.” Fun spot! Powerful drink. Hang-over-ville.

Birds and The Daily Office prayers
Each morning during Morning Prayers on the ocean side patio, our bird-feeder hosts yellow “sugar” suckers who come to visit with their long beaks; they “go bananas” over raw sugar. Sometimes they will suck from our hummingbird feeder. These Bananaquits are tiny yellow and black breasted birds. They are beautiful and fun to watch. Also, visiting are Morning Doves, White winged Doves, Wrens, and Green Headed Hummingbirds. Two cups of birds seed lasts most of the day. The Doves sit in the feeder and scatter the seed with their feet.

More auto/taxi logos seen:
Uncle Sam, FURIOUS, For Sail, Problem, Ball Bearing, Who is Rolling it?,
Morning Star, Black Beauty, All Bite No Bark!, FOXY

Haze/Dust: African Sahara Dirt
It’s been hazy for a couple of weeks. The upper air stream has blown African Sahara Dust into the atmosphere; the haze limits our long range view and reduces visibility; the sky at times looks brown/grey; clouds appear brownish.
A friend has said, “Think about all the camel dung we are breathing!”
The prevailing winds blow from East to West. It’s a small world after all.

Clergy Day
Once each quarter we gather with the Bishop a clergy day. Great method for fellowship and spiritual up lifting based on common worship. Bishop Ambrose is
pastor to his clergy. His emphasis is Deanery programs and joint ministry among neighboring parish Churches. As an example, on St. Croix we will jointly have a Youth Summer Camp, similar to a multi-age Bible School. St. Peter’s will host the Youth Camp.

Altar Guild meeting
The previous Priest made sweeping changes in liturgy; numerous Altar guild members dropped out or discontinued to volunteer; I acquired ONLY TWO active
Altar guild workers! I called a meeting of all previous members of the Altar Guild;
Twelve women returned with new vigor. We have ordered liquid wax candles and a new Paschal Candle. There is lots of time before next Easter but our paschal candle is burned down to a short stick! We will soon install a sanctuary candle designating the presence of the Reserved Sacrament. These are healthy changes during this Interim/transitional time.

Soaring Big Bird
A large primitive looking soaring bird cruises the upper air riding the rising warm air flow. It has a wide forty-eight inch wing span that looks like a “W” with a split tail appearing like a “V”. This Condor-like giant is like a pre-historic bird.
The Magnificient Frigatebird floats in air effortless. Gracious in flight.

It’s HOT and Bright
Summer is with us! The sun has moved on the axis so we get bright afternoon sun. With the haze, we pray for breezes and moderate winds from the sea.
No one speaks about hurricanes; it’s as if you talk about the inevitable, the reality will blow ashore out of Africa. It’s not If BUT When. The ocean temperatures are still lingering about 82 degrees; not warm enough for a tropical depression or tropical “wave” of weather disturbance, yet! We watch and wait.

We have bought FANS
In defense of all the heat we have purchased three electric rotating FANS of various size and descriptions. Staying “cool” we sit under the manufactured breeze/wind hearing the constant whirl of fans blades day and night.

BUCK ISLAND
Just off shore is an uninhabited Island under the US Park Service management system. Dating back to when the Kennedy family came to US VI in the 60’s; now Buck Island is part a National Park and under the coastal marine preservation land trust. The coral reefs are protected. The water is clear and fish abound.
The various coral formations are breath taking. I have been out for snorkel dive twice. Lovely. Exhilarating!

The Reef Wedding
Our small community celebrated a young couple’s wedding last weekend. The son of a permanent resident flew back to marry his fiancé where they were engaged. The ceremony was conducted on the beach, surf side with a barefoot “clergy” who is the owner/manager of a local restaurant: “The Pickled Greek.” The officant blew a conch shell at the conclusion. There were lots of flowers; a wonderful reception with “Mocko Jumbies,” twelve-foot stilted giants in wedding costumed danced around The Reef Pool to Caribbean music of steel pan drums. Gorgeous! It was my first time as guest at a “destination wedding.” Rather fun!

SAINT PETER'S Wall/Fence
The men of St. Peter’s have worked in the hot sun almost every Saturday for many weeks now. The fence/wall is almost completed; two gates have been installed. The main gate awaits manufacture (Paid for by the ECW!). Next the electrical lights along the fence and entrance. When finished we will celebrate with a barbeque and enjoy local meats and dishes.

Come See us Mon!
La Paz Y Buen camino!
DEO+

DEO+ on STX # 9
28th June 2009
(Eve of Saint Peter and Saint Paul)

Questions on the Way
We have finished our eight week teaching series slowly reading Beverly Tucker and William Swatos’ book, Questions on the Way (“A catechism based on The Book of Common Prayer”.) We began with 24 people and ended on the last session with 10 folks. I think it was a good educational experience and challenged some in the assumptions and past backgrounds. Wednesday evening 7:30pm. The next teaching series begins July 8th. Our book: The Shack by Wm. Paul Young, Winblown Media, New Bury Park; at the same time do some theological/biblical reflection. We meet for six or eight weeks at 6:30pm. The parish is hungry for teaching; they want to learn and grow in their faith. Saint Peter’s Church is willing to experience challenging new thinking; she is ready to stretch her spiritual assumptions and perceptions. Our next challenge may be responding to theological re-imaging!

Father’s Day
On June 21st, we honored a “Father of the Year” and enjoyed a brunch following the service. The men of the Church assembled in mass before the congregation and sang: Hymn #551 “Rise up O saints of God,” a moving and sweet statement
of faith and commitment. The “old version” (before revision) read: “Rise up O Men of God!”

St. Thomas Clergy Day with Bishop Ambrose
On Thursday, June 25th, we flew to St. Thomas on the Sea Plane for an all day clergy meeting with the Bishop and Diocesan clergy. The flight is an easy 20 minutes, an exciting take-off and landing. It’s fun to get off Island periodically.

Finders Keepers
Daily I walk on the beach; sometimes the sea washes up all kinds of “stuff.”
Especially after high winds the variety of over board treasures for the picking, if one wishes to haul the goodies back to the condo. Last week I found a nice St. Croix ball-cap; ocean stained but after a vigorous wash one would never know it was a junk hat! My neatest “find” has been a Portuguese green glass fishing marker-buoy. Beautiful.

More auto slogans:
Flying Object, Hollywood (Taxi), Keep on Dart’in, Seek It, Gentleness, Precious,
Houston, U Can Hate Me I Love U, Professional Grade, Mind Yo Business,
The Red Rose, No Snakes, THE Red Lion, Bountiful, Abundant, Other Mon.


Home visits to shut-ins
Accompanied by a visitation team of two or three lay persons and sometimes the Deacon, we deliver the Holy Communion to our chronically ill, blind, sick and shut-in folks. We sing the following song:
(LEVAS II #77) “Jesus is All The World To ME”
Jesus is all the world to me, My life, my joy, my all;
He is my strength from day to day, Without Him I would fall:
When I am sad, to him I go, No other one can cheer me so;
When I am sad He makes me glad, He’s my friend.

Jesus is all the world to me, My friend in trials sore;
I GO TO Him for blessings, and He gives them o’er;
He sends the sunshine and the rain,
He sends the harvest’s golden again;
Sunshine and rain, harvest of grain, He’s my friend.

Jesus is all the world to me, I want no better friend;
I trust Him now, I’ll trust Him when Life’s fleeting days shall end:
Beautiful life, with such a friend.
Beautiful life that has no end;
Eternal life, eternal joy, He’s my friend.

In the most depressing living conditions; in the saddest circumstances where some folks live and move and have their being; departing them after singing this song, lifts me; it rolls around in my head most of the afternoon. These homes are modest, with gentle prevailing breezes; dogs bark and chickens run free scratching the ground for food or roosters crow; the streets are dirt with ruts; there are no visible addresses. Most folks receive their mail in a Post Office Box or at a road collection neighborhood sub-station. These faithful Christians, many have serious medical conditions, most with diabetes; a few have partial amputations; some are blind. These folks usually listen to the Church service radio broadcast on the Sunday at 6pm. They know my voice and sing along with the hymns during worship. What a joy to visit these lovely shut-ins. Our team usually consists of the Deacon and a couple lay persons. We take the Church car riding together. I drive, they show me the way! The roads are terrible. Our folks know we are coming and expect us. They look forward to our visit. It’s a powerful ministry of pastoral care and sacramental contact with their Church as we together Most of these folks are elderly and very poor. Together, we experience the living presence of the Risen Lord in flesh and blood. Holy Communion!

Patronal Feast: The Eve of Saint Peter and Saint Paul
The Bishop came for the week-end on June 26th-28th; our parish banquet on Friday night was lively and filled with speeches, music and stories. On Saturday the Bishop met with the Vestry; on Sunday we moved the Mass one hour later so neighboring congregations could attend. Fellow clergy participated in the service, reading the lessons and assisting at the Altar. The Bishop preached and celebrated the Eucharist; but no candidates for Confirmation or Baptism were presented. In the past, for some reason unknown, the Liturgical Propers were taken from The Conversion of Peter (January 10th); but I changed the readings and Propers to the correct date: (January 29th for St. Peter and St. Paul). Thius is another typical interim challenge for “we have always done it this way.” Yet no one seemed to know “why?!” +Ambrose Gumbs seems to be pleased with our joint ministry as Priest and People. The Interim task is on track. We are making progress. The Church is becoming stable, a predictable homeostatic condition.

Front Door of “The Frame Up” hobby and craft store:
One half-block from St. Peter’s Church is my favorite “craft shop,” loaded with all sorts of fun stuff to build and construct, model kits, art supplies, glitter and glue. On the front door of The Frame Up shop, these words are painted on the door:
(340-///-???? telephone number)
“Most likely Hours
Monday to Saturday, 9:01am – 6:02pm
Sunday 1:03pm – 4:59pm
Open When Here
Closed, When Not here
If Open and Not here
Call the Police & Kindly
Leave a Donation.”
Why not place the same message on the Church door!? Easy hours. Tough sell.

Come see us Mon!
La Paz y Buen Camino!
DEO+