On Wednesday, May 30, 2018, I changed the name of my blog to "Wholeness and Resurrection."  I was tired of "Phillip's Fillups" and thought a more lofty and pertinent title would be apt.  I'm not sure who'll see since I'm a troglodyte when it comes to setting up this sort of thing.  But I succeeded in changing the title at least!  Woo Hoo!

I'll say why the change now.  I was asked last winter to lead a men's retreat for a colleague's parish (she's a woman and thought a man should lead it).  So, it was held on May 12 and five men from her parish showed up.  There were to have been six, but one had to work that day, a Saturday.  Earlier, my colleague Esme had asked me for a title for the event.  I scratched my head to come up with something that would sound halfway decent, and came up with Wholeness and Resurrection.  It was with much fear and trepidation that I got together some things for the day, with much help from my dear friend Frank Dunn and others.  Maybe it succeeded, as the feedback I got from Esme was that the men who came enjoyed it and want to do it again, maybe annually.  That blew me away!  I went away from the day relieved that I got through it without putting the men to sleep, but we did spend a lot of time telling our stories to one another, stories about our experiences with wholeness (and brokenness) and resurrection (and death).

So, perhaps this new title will attract some readers along the line, who knows?  

It is May 30, former Memorial Day, 2018.  I see that I haven't added to this blog in well over a year, but having read some old posts - and I hope I haven't deleted them - I decided to add a little before getting back to what I was doing before I diverted to the blog. 

What a dumb name this is, "Phillip's Fillups."  Surely, I can come up with a better and more creative name.  I enjoy reading from time to time in others' blogs, both private and professional, and gain much from it. 

I've tried to copy and print out some old ones from this and haven't been successful: only part of a first page gets printed.  Technology has always eluded me anyway.

There's much I could say, but I'm rather strapped for time, having promised LaVera, my long-suffering spouse, that I would make a few phone calls to places that have billed us for who-knows-what.  We just received our Amex bill and I see therein a few glitches, so I shall have to iron them out somehow.  No doubt, I'll be put on hold, after punching in a number of numbers until I reach a live voice.  Even then, with the live voice, there is absolutely no guarantee that I'll be assisted in a manner I would expect.

The "big deal" in my life now is an upcoming trip to Germany.  I have sung with the Portland Bach Cantata Choir since 2006 (is is it 2005 when it began?) and we are making a tour of East Germany to many of the places J.S. Bach, our patron, lived and worked in: Erfurt, Eisenach, Muhlhausen, Leipzig, Coethen, Dresden.  I used up most of my supply-work money to pay for this (over $4500) so I hope it proves to be a worthy enterprise and fun as well.  We had a long, 3-hour rehearsal last night, and are giving a "preview" concert this coming Sunday, June 3, at St Michael and All Angels Church.  There will be a few more rehearsals, and we were warned last night by our conductor Ralph Nelson that we'll rehearse "on the bus" as we travel from place to place later on in June.  I hope to blog about the trip as well, so stay tuned.  (I don't even know if this blog is circulated or not!!!)

So, drawing this to a swift close, it's "good to be back" (how often have I said that since 2009 when I started blogging?) and to keep in touch.

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

This is my second "blog" and I still have to figure out how I can circulate this stuff without sending it hin and yon to all and sundry. Some may not be interested in my persiflage at all and others may be voyeurs of a sort. I don't want to pander to either gang.

Today I attended my ecumenical lectionary study group that has been going on for about seven years or so. When I joined it, I was still Rector of Ascension Parish in the West Hills of Portland, had to get LaVera to work, so was late to our meetings which then took place at St. David of Wales Parish in Portland on the east side. I thoroughly enjoyed all the conversation around the four readings appointed in the lectionary for the Sunday eleven days hence from our meeting. I.e., today's session dealt with the readings for Sunday, October 4. We use the RCL (Revised Common Lecitonary) and look closely at the Hebrew Scripture reading, the Psalm, the Epistle and the Gospel. Someone, usually the one who presents the 1st reading, offers a prayer before we begin and the Gospel-presenter brings some sort of treats, usually what I call "gooey rolls." Today, the Gospeller forgot he was presenting and we had, nevertheless, some fresh fruit, including some freshly-picked figs which I found a bit mushy and not very delightful. But the conversation was terrific, as always.

I am constantly in awe of how my Presbyterian (mainly) colleagues in the group do their work: they have a true love for The Word, a hermeneutical (?) and homiletical love. I think in their seminaries they study both the original Hebrew texts and the Greek ones. They, of course, are called upon to preach rather full sermons each week in their respective pulpits and often I'll hear such a question, "How will this text 'preach'?" We Episcopalians don't give as much time and effort to preaching the Word, but I'm always in awe. Perhaps I could add more than my simple "two-bits" and really give them an Anglican spin on things, but I don't or can't. Our one UCC member is one of the smartest and cleverest people in the group. Thus far, if everyone's present, we have 3 ELCA (Lutherans), 1 UCC (Congregational/United Church of Christ), 4 (sometimes 5) Presbyterians, and 4 Episcopalians (3 clergy and 1 lay preacher). We have a great time and I'm fed richly by this group.

On Wednesdays, I try to get to our parish, Ss. Peter & Paul, for our noonday "Celtic Mass" and Bible study that follows. The "contract" is to stay well within an hour for both and we do rather well with it, although today, we went on a bit longer. We usually look at the propers for the coming Sunday. And this Sunday, our Assisting Bishop, Sandy Hampton, will be with us to visit, confirm, baptize and preside. He preferred that we use the RCL lectionary which includes the reading from Numbers, wherein the Hebrews are whining greatly about all the good food they had in their slavery in Egypt and are having to put up with that awful "manna". I imagine the good bishop will, upon urging from our rector, raise up for us all what our parish is hoping to do in the future. That is, be an "emergent church," welcoming all in the Name of Christ