St. Bartholomew's Episcopal Church

Today is my "study" day, which is the time I use to read many of the materials sitting on my desk. I'm working on a long article for the Anglican Theological Review on recent books on economics. There are deep contradictions between the impulses of family values, capitalism and tolerance. Capitalism can, when it is regulated and raises livings standards, foster tolerance. It can also, when it feeds envy, corrode communities and "family values".

Tolerance suggests a risk-taking about community that contradicts the impulse for security that "family values" implies. It is a tension that is inavoidable (but the church, ideally, makes it manageable). I desire both strong families and magnanimous families. But I am not an idealist that the two are easy fits.

Thanksgiving eve service was quiet - four people. The next day I spent the day with my father's sister's family, and the next day with my mother's brother's family. They live 15 minutes away from each other near Princeton. The drive down was horrible, but the return was very pleasant. I played the song "manteca" about five times.

On Saturday morning I did gravesite funeral, where I was asked if his body is now resurrected, or would it be resurrected on the last day, when Jesus returns. I said that I didn't have an answer to that question just yet. "Bill is surely part of God now," I said. "And when you remember him, he becomes alive." I don't think this answer was satisfactory to her.

There are many different understandings about what the end of time entails. Growing up in a very materialist household, I feel like I'm always translating between metaphor, analogy, imagination and brute fact. I often imagine my father in heaven, trimming the wisteria, to the rhythm of a tito puente. He is surely resurrected in my mind; and I talk about him constantly.

Yesterday Steve Culler, an "independent contractor" fellow I've helped out by giving him work, decided to leave for South Carolina. Recently, he'd been wrongly accused of armed robbery, participating with two other people: my friends at Legal Aid - all pretty cynical and worldly - believed he was innocent. That's because the two other people said that Steve wasn't the third. The third was a fellow who did look like Steve. After nine months in jail, they invented a charge, and let him go for time served. He decided he had enough, and the grandmother who raised him wasn't doing that well in SC. He had the ticket. Did I have some cash? I looked in my pocket and found the honorarium from the gravesite service - $100. I handed it over and gave him a blessing. He said he'll call me, and use me as a reference. Steve is a good guy, a bit too charming, likes the ladies, and didn't deserve 9 months in jail.

But on the up side, our organist, Rita, won the "over-the-hill" American Idol contest for her vocal talents. Bravo Rita! Of course, she isn't really over the hill.

Israel is making an attempt to offer peace to the Palestinians. Hamas is suspicious. This is a positive development that should be taken seriously. The devil is in the details, however, and he has not offered clear boundaries. Sadly, militants continue to needle Israel. Although my sympathies are with those with less power, the actions of Palestinian militias simply affirms the Israeli perspective. I understand the rage, the sadness, the despair, the humiliation - this is why non-violence is so difficult. But it is a form of positive action, the most effective weapon of the marginalized and forgotten, for it says "we are here" which is all that needs to be said. Over and Over.

This week we are getting ready for our Saturday evening cocktail party to raise money for our music program; sending out stewardship information and a newsletter. Now that we have a mission statement, our job is to get the word (The Word!) out. My friend Fr. Young, is sending out a 10,000 person mailing based on encouraging people to serve others, rather than just a service announcement.

A great idea worth stealing.