"We need to stop trying to make God happy, and begin to make God visible." Rt. Rev. John Shelby Spong
Splendid, splendid, splendid day! A little warmer, but sunny and bright and beautiful from beginning to end.
Tomorrow is moving day. I have to transfer my stuff from my current room in one building, to an even smaller room in the building behind us. Hopefully it won't take that long.
Our final week day service was this morning. I've enjoyed the preacher. He is very very cool and seems to be an enthusiastic follower of Rule Number 6: Don't take your self so gosh darn seriously!
Roger Rosenblatt's last friend for the week was Pulitzer Prize and Tony award winning playwright, Marsha Norman. She wrote the play g'night Mother, and the musical version of Secret Garden. She was terrific.
I ate a quick lunch and went to Turner Gym to work out. I really didn't want to, but I made myself and I'm really glad I did. I had a great workout, but also timed it perfectly to catch a tram driven by the same retiree both going out and coming back. On the way back the route goes through the northern neighborhoods of Chautauqua, and the gardens here are just breathtaking. The big white snowball hydrangeas in particular are spectacular. What a beautiful drive and the driver pointed out to me PT Barnum's house (which he built for his bride) and other historical sites along the way.
Attended John Spong's last lecture. I should have been going to all of his lectures. He is a religious leader who totally encapsulates what I've been believing the past few years. Pretty controversial stuff as he challenges the traditional ways of viewing God, death, and religious practice. He makes a strong case that we need to stop taking the child role (as in. . . .if you're very good you'll go to heaven) and begin to grow up. The opening quote of my blog is from his presentation today. He stands up for all people, and particularly deplores religious intolerance historically of women, blacks, homosexuality, etc. It was surreal to be lying out on the grass looking up at the clear blue sky, among hundreds of people all sitting in rapt attention to a speaker who I know was challenging some of their very core beliefs about who God is. Such a compelling place this is.
After the lecture I buckled down and finished reading Angle of Repose. Excellent book. Now I have to start Somebody Knows My Name, by Lawrence Hill. He is the author in residence for this next week, and I want to have this mostly done or finished by the time he reads and speaks about the book on Thursday.
We had a Friday night cookout here at the DOC house. Everyone cleaned out their refrigerators, and there was grilling of hot dogs, hamburgers, bratwurst, and veggie burgers. Lots of fun.
From there I went to see the movie The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. I really liked the book but had decided not to see the movie because I heard it was really graphic and grim. However, I went anyway and it was really graphic and grim but a very true protrayal of the book. And I met two new friends and a friend from last year! These are going to be like hanging out friends, so I'm thrilled about that. I'm SOOOOO glad I'm not leaving tomorrow.
The 4th of July will be celebrated tomorrow! Community band concert on the green, fireworks, patriotic music. Our big choral blowout of patriotic music will be in the two church services on Sunday. It's Norman Rockwell writ large!
Okay. . . .no church service tomorrow so I have to get up and get moving . . . . literally! Good night!
