Battered,
bruised,
bent,
but
beautiful
as the year moves
toward a close.
Central Park, Manhattan
23 November 2012
Monthly Archives: January 2014
Purple flowers, Central Park 10
Neighbor and Neighborhood: A dialogue of the Sikh Coalition and the PC(USA)
This one is particularly for folks in the New York City area. But there is contact information if others want to learn more.
World Interfaith Harmony Week is observed during the first week of February.
The Sikh Coalition, Presbyterian Men in the Presbytery of New York City, the Church of the Covenant, Rutgers Presbyterian Church, West-Park Presbyterian Church, the Committee on Witness to Society and the World in the Presbytery of New York City, and the Presbyterian Mission Agency’s Office of Interfaith Relations and Presbyterian Ministry at the United Nations have come together in a unique partnership to offer three dialogue events over the weekend of February 1 and 2.
Simran Jeet Singh, Senior Religion Fellow of the Sikh Coalition, and Christine Hong, Associate for Theology: Interfaith Relations of the Theology, Worship and Education Ministry of the Presbyterian Mission Agency will lead the dialogues. Details on the three events are:
Saturday, February 1, 2014
10:00 – 11:30 AM
Fellowship Hall
Church of the Covenant
310 E. 42nd St., New York, NY
(between First and Second Avenues)
For more information, contact Greg Reid of Presbyterian Men.
Saturday, February 1, 2014
1:00 – 3:00 PM
Fellowship Hall
Rutgers Presbyterian Church
236 W. 73rd St., New York, NY
(take the 1, 2, or 3 train to 72nd St.)
For more information, contact Alice Hudson at Rutgers Presbyterian Church.
Sunday, February 2, 2014
Worship 11:00 AM
Dialogue 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM
Sanctuary
West-Park Presbyterian Church
165 W. 86th St., New York, NY
(corner of Amsterdam Avenue at 86th Street)
For more information, contact Bob Brashear at West-Park Presbyterian Church.
The dialogue will explore questions such as: What do Presbyterian Christians and Sikhs share in common? What makes our traditions unique? Does interfaith dialogue strengthen or weaken faith? How do we love neighbors of different religions in difficult times? Join us for a fishbowl style interfaith dialogue between the Sikh Coalition and the Office of Interfaith Relations of the Presbyterian Mission Agency, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). In this interactive learning experience you will learn about Sikhism, Presbyterians and interfaith relations, see interfaith dialogue in action, and take steps towards building relationships of neighborliness and solidarity with the Sikh American community. February 1 marks the beginning of World Interfaith Harmony Week, the first week in February each year, as designated by the United Nations General Assembly.
Would you like to host a similar event for your church or group? Contact Christine Hong at the Office of Interfaith Relations.
See you along the Trail.
Why I like New York 36: Subway
I am a committed Subway rider. I go out of my way to avoid buses. I acknowledge it is not perfect. Friday’s ride to work felt like a rugby scrum. Without rules.
A recent post on Buzzfeed rated the various Subway lines. There is truth to the observations and critiques, at least about the lines I ride. Trains are loud, slow, dirty, crowded, and more. They make frequent stops and useless stops. Unexpected delays and breakdowns occur.
But, at the end of the day, each Subway line gets people where we want to go, or at least near where we want to go.
Plus, the ride often reminds me of traveling through the mines of Moria. Gotta love those Tolkienesque experiences.
See you along the Trail.
Filed under New York
Life
In a world tattered and torn,
a world battered and worn;
In a world of sorrow and pain,
a world of horror and shame;
In a world where I weep for the evil we do,
a world where I grieve for what sisters and brothers endure;
In such a world,
I give thanks.
In this world,
I give thanks
for hope and faith
for love and grace.
In my world,
I give thanks
for tender mercies and boundless joy,
courage unexpected and strength unforeseen.
In our world,
I give thanks
for a baby’s first cry
and a parent’s first smile.
I give thanks
for life.
23 January 2014
New York, New York
For
Joann, Mike, and Austin
Roja, Joel, and their newborn daughter whose name I will list as soon as they tell me
And all new parents and babies
Filed under Friends
Purple flowers, Central Park 9
Link by link,
a purple tower
rises skyward.
Central Park, Manhattan
23 November 2012
Ridgewood
Preaching this morning at Ridgewood Presbyterian Church in Queens.
See you along the Trail.
Filed under New York, Photo, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
Interrelated
In a presentation to a seminar group from Elon University about the Millennium Development Goals and the post-2015 development agenda my colleague Joe used a roll of tape to demonstrate that we are connected to one another.
See you along the Trail.
Purple flowers, Central Park 8
A day after Thanksgiving (2012),
a bee enjoys
late-blooming flowers
Central Park, Manhattan
23 November 2012
Carrying tunes
One of my former work colleagues and friends posted the following on Facebook:
In your status line, list 10 albums that have stayed with you. Tag ten friends including me. These shouldn’t be the critics list, but records that mean something to you. Do it fast. Don’t research it.
I don’t often do this sort of thing but I decided to give this one a try. I suspected that because of differences in our ages and tastes, my list would be quite different from his. It was. Both lists contained amazing music.
It also proved an interesting exercise because it allowed me to consider the tunes I carry in my heart and my soul. These are the soundtrack of my life. Each recording played a role in my life. They associate with moments and experiences, transporting me back across time and space. Many smiles accompanied the process.
Here’s my list. The significance to the order is the order they occurred to me.
- Derek and the Dominos – Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs
- Jimi Hendrix – Electric Ladyland
- Jackson Browne – Late for the Sky
- Eric Bogle – Scraps of Paper
- Bob Marley and the Wailers – Exodus
- Bob Dylan – Blood on the Tracks
- Van Morrison – Saint Dominic’s Preview
- Black 47 – Fires of Freedom
- Carole King – Tapestry
- Warren Zevon – The Wind
This proved far harder than I expected. Here’s a second 10 – actually 11 since I sneak in two by Brother Neil.
- Seeds – the songs of Pete Seeger
- Mountain – Nantucket Sleighride
- Neil Young – Prairie Wind / Harvest
- Arlo Guthrie – Amigo
- The Band – Music from Big Pink
- Bruce Cockburn – Nothing But a Burning Light
- Bruce Springsteen – The Ghost of Tom Joad
- The Temptations – Puzzle People
- Archie Roach – Charcoal Lane
- John McCutcheon – Live at Wolf Trap
And many, many more crossed my soul as I worked on this.
What tunes do you carry? What music would be on your list?
See you along the Trail.
An achy night
My fingers ache
from the cold
and for those
who cannot come in
from the cold.
My heart aches for family, friends
and people I have not met, will never meet,
who heavy loads bear:
illness and sorrow
grief, pain and worry.
My soul aches for God’s children
in this city and around the world
who endure violence,
overt or structured
this day, every day.
I ache.
And I wonder,
is there a balm?
7 January 2014
Shire Near the Hudson
Along the Graybeard Trail 