On 29 October, 2017 at Noble Road Presbyterian Church,
my son Eric was ordained as a minister of the Word and Sacrament
in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).
Essie and I were privileged to celebrate communion with him.
Of course I had to talk.
Eric serves as a Resident Minister at the First Presbyterian Church of Ann Arbor where Essie serves as the Youth Ministries Coordinator.
Thanks to Maria Bernardo for the photo.
Filed under Family, Friends, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
16 October 2017
New York, New York
Ordered to support the daughter of a friend;
awesome that they came in purple.
I walk. It’s one of the few healthy things I do. At the moment. I have plans to change that.
For now, I walk. Over 5,000,000 steps in 2017.
After some trial and error and more trials and even more errors, I discovered that what inspires me best when I walk, and in those moments when I jog or run at a speed that challenges a sundial to measure, is music. Which leads to the topic of playlists.
At first I tried using my iTunes on shuffle. The challenge involved tempo. Many songs on my iTunes are too slow for walking, let alone for those moments when jogging/running at a speed that threatens to leave banana slugs in the dust.
Playlists became my solution: selecting the songs that I want to listen to each day. I create daily playlists that are about 1 hour long.
Of playlist types, there are four (at the moment):
Memorial playlists. Often, but not every time, when an artist dies, I create a playlist of songs by that artist. Sometimes I will include covers of the artist’s songs as well. At times this means purchasing songs to build, or supplement, the playlist; other times I have the needed songs.
Special day playlists. For days that have speak to me in a special way, I create playlists. These are days I choose to commemorate. Usually I have songs that fit the day; occasionally songs are added to supplement what is already in my iTunes library. Examples are: Roberto Clemente’s birthday, my birthday and anniversary, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Human Rights Day, the Winter Solstice, and Women’s Day.
Seasonal playlists. Current playlists mark two seasons. During Advent and Christmas, playlists are built of Advent and Christmas songs on the Sundays and then from December 24 through January 6, Christmas songs fill the playlists. The week or two before and after St. Patrick’s Day bring playlists of Irish and Irish-American music. Fitzgerald on my mother’s side. Playlists created during each season follow, as far as possible, the rules of regular playlists and involve the creation of Christmas and Irish source playlists.
Regular playlists. I create a playlist folder in iTunes with all the songs in the library except for Christmas. This becomes the master playlist with the incredibly creative name of “Gym.” A playlist folder for each day is then created: “Gym 02 November” for example. I then go back into the master playlist, set it on shuffle, and start a song. I don’t use that song, but do a fast-forward to the next song. If the tempo is right, I add it to the daily playlist and then delete it from the master playlist and then repeat the process. If the tempo is too slow, it is simply deleted and the fast-forward takes place. This continues for about 7 or 8 songs which is somewhere between 20 and 30 minutes. At that point, I look at the playlist in terms of diversity of the artists. The remaining songs are chosen using the fast-forward shuffle to ensure that there is a measure of diversity (gender and race) in the list. Two additional rules: only one song per artist per playlist (which is waived if an artist was a member of multiple groups) and no repeats of the same song even by different artists. Songs that are not included because they do not fit the rules at the moment remain in the list. Only slow songs and used songs are deleted. Should it reach the point where all the songs have been used or deleted, then the “Gym” master playlist would be rebuilt.
One potential tweak lies ahead. I have purchased the 2018 Peace Calendar from the Syracuse Cultural Workers. In addition to being a source for special day playlists, it may well allow the addition of a song or two on appropriate days.
Creating playlists consumes time. It often happens late at night with a mindless movie on the television. And I have come to realize that this is a discipline that feeds me in some way I cannot describe. And that is good.
See you along the Trail.
Five years. The vagaries of time make it feel like yesterday and like a lifetime ago, all in the same moment.
Ruling Elder Cynthia Bolbach, moderator of the 219th General Assembly (2010) of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) died on 12-12-12 in the afternoon. This post was written on that day at a time before I knew of her death. For a number of reasons, it seems worth sharing again and remembering this amazing woman and beloved child of God.
I did something today I have never done before.
I stood in silence for five minutes.
I am not big on pomp and circumstance and formality. A South African friend once observed that I can be a bit “cheeky” to those in authority. For some reason everyone who has heard that assessment has agreed with it. Go figure.
I stood in silence today for five minutes in honor of Cindy Bolbach.
The tradition in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is to stand when the General Assembly moderator enters the room. Almost every moderator in my memory has encouraged people not to do so. Most of the time most of them meant it. Yet the tradition persists – in honor of the person and even more so in respect of the office. And while it is not my favorite thing, I take part.
Today, without being asked, without being prompted, I chose to stand in silence for five minutes in honor of Cindy Bolbach – moderator of the 219th General Assembly (2010).
I watched her election from the back of the auditorium in Minneapolis. My son Sean and I leaned against the wall.
A period of questions and answers precedes the voting. Commissioners (the folks with the votes) pose questions and the individuals standing (we’re Presbyterian, we don’t run) respond. The questions deal with theology, issues before the church, and issues in the world.
At one point, a question was posed along the lines of: “What would happen to the church, if you were not elected and one of the other candidates were?”
One by one the candidates offered replies praising the others and noting that the church did not depend on their election. Then Cindy Bolbach stepped to the mike. I do not remember her exact words, but the essence was:
There will be utter chaos.
The Assembly erupted in laughter. Sean turned to me and said, “She just won, didn’t she?”
The Assembly still had to vote. But Cindy did win. And I believe her sparkling humor that bristles with wisdom played a key role.
I stood in silence today for five minutes in honor of Cindy Bolbach.
Cindy is a woman of incredible faith, deep love, amazing grace, and an incredible wit. She lives daily her commitment to Christ, to the Church, to the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) , to all people, and to God’s world. She mixes simplicity and profound sincerity with a capability to navigate complexity and controversy. I am privileged to know her. The Church (in all its manifestations) is blessed by her presence.
For most of this year, Cindy has struggled against cancer. The struggle cut short her ability to attend events but it never dampened her spirits (at least in public). She wore a fedora to the 220th General Assembly (2012) and she wore it well.
This morning came the news that Cindy has entered hospice care. And I stood for five minutes in her honor.
But in the silence it came to me that another way – a better way – to honor Cindy Bolbach – is to give thanks to God for Cindy – to entrust Cindy to God’s merciful care – to pray for her without ceasing – then to get back about the business of ministry. I am pretty sure that is what she would want. So it is what I have done.
When Cindy returns to the dust, as we all will someday do, I will shed more tears. But I will also proclaim “Alleluia.”
When Cindy returns to the dust, as we all will someday do, there will be utter chaos. But in the chaos there will be love and there will be grace and there will be God. And all will be well for Cindy. And all will be well for us. Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia.
See you along the Trail.
Filed under Friends, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
I passed this fence on my way to St. James Presbyterian Church to a meeting with colleague and friend Derrick McQueen. It was on St. Nicholas between the 145th Subway Station and the church. Interesting that it was purple.
Always good to start the day with a cup of coffee.
Even better when the mug is made by a friend and colleague.
Thanks to Paul Huh.
See you along the Trail.
Filed under Friends, New York, Photo, Uncategorized
photo by Martha Brown
5 November 2017
South State Street
Chicago, Illinois
Transition is the nature of life. For individuals, families, communities, nations, the world, change happens.
Our family is no different. We have passed through many changes through the years.
This year has brought an acceleration of change. Eric graduated from seminary as did his fiancé, Essie. They remained engaged for about five days after their graduation and then, in a wonderful celebration, they became Eric and Essie Koenig-Reinke. And then they moved to Michigan for jobs with First Presbyterian Church of Ann Arbor.
Tricia received a new job in Louisville with the Office of the General Assembly. I received a new job in New York with the Presbytery of New York City.
Sean and grandpuppy Henrik have been the eye of calm in the midst of all the changes.
This weekend, we have gathered in Cleveland Heights for Eric’s ordination as a Minister of the Word and Sacrament in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). It will take place at Noble Road Presbyterian Church where Eric grew up and where he remains a member, until his ordination.
We all stayed in the house on Navahoe Road that Tricia and I rented in 1985 when we came to Noble Road. Tricia has stayed in the house ever since, which we finally came to own a couple years ago. This may be the last time we all stay together here, although thanks to a dear family friend, Renee Boykin, we will continue to own the house. Renee will rent.
Another marker of this time of transition came when Eric pulled into the driveway on Friday night driving a Toyota Matrix. It had been my car, purchased in 2004, and it is my favorite of all the cars I have owned or co-owned.
Now it has Michigan plates and belongs to Eric. Of course he has been driving it since I first moved to New York in 2010. But the title remained in my name and Tricia and I paid the insurance bill. And it still felt like mine.
No longer. Eric transferred the title a while back, put on the Michigan plates and started paying for the insurance. The Matrix is his.
An era ends. A new one begins.
Farewell, Matrix.
See you along the Trail.
Filed under Cleveland Heights, Family, Friends
