We have many ways to measure time. Many devices. Varied measurements. I spotted this one while walking in Central Park yesterday. How many years has it seen?
See you along the Trail.
Category Archives: New York
Purple flowers, Broadway Mall at 118th Street 1
Purple megaphones
trumpet beauty
Manhattan, New York
19 August 2012
Why I like New York 32: the wonder of Central Park 2
It started as a walk.
It became a quest.
It ended in success.
I preached this morning at the United Presbyterian Church of Ozone Park. Upon my return to the Shire near the Hudson, I faced a decision about what to do with the afternoon. Several options lay before me: work, a nap, or a walk in Central Park, my second favorite place, after the Shire, in New York.
My original thought was to visit the park, but I felt tired and sluggish so I opted for the nap. Except, I could not fall asleep. I decided to go with Plan A.
I entered the park at the Frederick Douglass Circle gate and made my way across to Harlem Meer. Then I turned south. I decided I would walk down to see Strawberry Fields before I exited. I watched an inning of softball and then an inning of baseball. The more I walked, the better I felt.
After about two hours, I looked at my pedometer and noticed that I had topped 16,000 steps for the day. I started at about 6,000 when I arrived at the park. I pondered for a few moments and realized that I could well top 20,000 steps for the day.
And the walk morphed into a quest.
And shortly after I left Central Park, the pedometer topped 20,000. It stands at 21,412; I may take a few more steps before the night ends. Success.
See you along the Trail.
Tolkien moment in Central Park
While walking in Central Park today, I had a Lord of the Rings moment. Of a sort. There are two. They are types of towers.
See you along the Trail.
Commissioned
A wonderful, joy-filled afternoon!
The Presbytery of New York City commissioned Peng Leong for ministry at First Chinese Presbyterian Church in New York. Peng will work with children. Her ministry will focus on growing both the Mandarin and Cantonese Sunday School classes. Peng will also work with recreation and tutoring programs for you. And she will assist in the outreach program to the Chinatown community.
The requirements to become a Commissioned Ruling Elder include serving in a ministerial placement. Peng chose to serve with the Presbyterian Ministry at the United Nations. We had a blessed year together.
Peng completed all the requirements in decency and orderliness. In May, the presbytery voted to commission her. And today, in an act involving Peng, First Chinese Presbyterian Church, and the Presbytery of New York City, the commissioning took place.
Adolfo Griffith and Sera Chung sang. Anne Conroy and Joseph Collazo provided the charges. Dr. David Ofori moderated. Nathan Lim, Betty Jones, James Tse, and Polly Lewis helped lead the service. Ryan Smith and Ricky Velez-Negron from our office attended along with many of Peng’s family members and members of the congregation and presbytery. It was a great day!
Me? Peng honored me with an invitation to preach.
Thanks to Ryan for the photo.
See you along the Trail.
Filed under Friends, New York, Photo, Presbyterian Ministry at the United Nations
Why I like New York 31: the bridge between terminals C and D at LaGuardia
Today the Trail led to Louisville. Again. At least that was the plan. It may still happen.
I arrived at LaGuardia – perhaps my least favorite place in New York – at around 4:30 for a 6:00 flight to Washington. There I would connect with a flight to Louisville.
Shortly after I arrived in Terminal C, the attendants announced that the 5:00 flight would be delayed. About 5:15, they announced that the 6:00 flight, my flight, would be delayed. I jumped into the line to check connections because I did not have much time in Washington.
Shortly after I got in line, they announced that my flight would be further delayed. Then came the news that they had cancelled the 5:00 flight. Oddly enough no one cheered this announcement.
When I reached the counter, Ricardo had bad news and good news and bad news for me. I would miss my connection. He could book me on another flight – a direct flight on another airline. It would not leave until 8:45. I took the flight.
Ricardo sent me around the corner to the other airline’s help desk. There I learned that the plane would depart from a gate in Terminal D.
Having almost three hours I asked if I could walk to the new gate. Told that I could, I did.
And I discovered the bridge between the terminals. And I realized that it made, if not a perfect, at least a very good place to walk and an opportunity to keep up my efforts at self-care.
In the spirit of making Irish whiskey when life gives one barley, I have spent an hour walking on the bridge. And since my flight is now delayed until 10:00, I may walk some more.
See you along the Trail.
Purple flowers, Broadway Mall at 111th Street
Is the purple disappearing up the stem?
Or growing down to cover the stem?
Or something else?
Manhattan, New York
19 August 2012
Purple flowers: with thanks to all the Sams out there
From The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers:
Faramir: [to Frodo and Sam] My men tell me that you are Orc spies.
Sam: Spies! Now wait just a minute!
Faramir: Well, if you’re not spies, then who are you?
[they remain silent, Faramir sighs and sits]
Faramir: Speak!
Frodo: We are Hobbits of the Shire. Frodo Baggins is my name and this is Samwise Gamgee.
Faramir: Your bodyguard?
Sam: His gardener.
When I came into possession of the Shire near the Hudson, it was under renovation. Serious renovation. Tuck pointing. Roof repair. April 20 marked my first view of the Shire without scaffolding.
With the scaffolding gone, landscaping work has begun. Today, I noticed several of my neighbors digging in the dirt, spreading mulch and fertilizer, watering, and planting.
It reminded me that many purple flowers grow freely in the wild. Others require the patient tender care of gardeners.
A day early, in honor of Sam Gamgee, my neighbors at the Shire near the Hudson, and gardeners everywhere, I offer purple flowers from the Shire:
Shire near the Hudson
2 June 2013
A blessed visit, a blessed day
Near the end of my visit to the Republic of Korea, the Rev. JC Lee informed me that one of his Doctor of Ministry would come to the United States. The class itself would take place at Columbia Theological Seminary. But they would also do some sightseeing. Their Trail would bring them to New York.
I jumped at the opportunity to share a small portion of hospitality with my friend and guide who had showed me so much on my trip to his country. We began to plan and via email worked out a brief visit to the Presbyterian Ministry at the United Nations.
The visit happened yesterday – May 30. It was wonderful.
JC and nine students arrived about 10:30. Our staff greeted them warmly. Ricky, Marissa (who took two of the photos in this post), Brendan, Ryan, Sera, and I told about the work of our ministry and responded to questions.
Pizza, traditional New York City pizza – we wanted to provide a New York dish, arrived at 11:15 or so. Over lunch, our guests shared about themselves and their ministries.
Our guests expressed interest in the Red Hands on our walls. I explained that the hands were part of the Red Hand Campaign to end the use of children as soldiers. Our Korean brothers and sister indicated a desire to participate and Red Hands were made.
After lunch, Sera and I accompanied the class on a tour of the United Nations. As we had requested, the guide conducted the tour in Korean. The group members had a marvelous, joy-filled time. We had so much fun and laughed so loud and hard with each other that our guide had to quite the group. Twice.
Following the tour, we returned to our office where we bid each other, not good-bye, but “until the next time.” We walked our brothers and sister to the elevator amid great laughter. The class went to visit Midtown.
The elevator doors closed. With joy in our hearts, well at least with joy in my heart – I suppose I should not speak for anyone else, we went back to work.
A blessed visit. A blessed day.
See you along the Trail.
Stay healthy
To everything there is a season.
I have entered a season where my heart hangs heavy and my soul aches for friends who face serious health issues.
In an exchange with one friend, I received the advice, or the challenge, “You better stay healthy.”
I appreciate the sentiment but the reality, as my friend knows, is that I need to get healthy.
For almost two days now, I have tried. I ate well yesterday. I walked on the treadmill last night. I installed a number of health apps to measure food intake, exercise, weight, and other bodily functions, I ate well today.
As I type, I recognize the privileges that I carry: access to good food, access to a gym, access to a smart phone and a computer, financial resources to pay for them, freedom to make use of them, safety to practice them, time to devote to them, and more.
Humbled at having so much, I renew my commitment and head to the gym for a second night.
See you along the Trail.
Along the Graybeard Trail 