Transformations and Whispers
Time 2021-10-29 17:03:54Web Name: Transformations and Whispers
WebSite: http://transformationsandwhispers.blogspot.com
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keywords: description:By John A. Dalles
Here we are well into the month of October. But all around us in Central Florida, it seems like a summer time paradise.
I am always impressed by the semi tropical landscape that we have here in Central Floirida. One of the joys of living in our neighborhood is that we see some great examples of landscaping.Without having to go out of our way. Here is a series of photos I stopped to take, yesterday, at the entrance to our neighborhood, on my way back from running an errand.
Yes, I know it is still somewhat balmy in Pennsylvania and other northern areas right now. And October brings its own joys of autumn leaves drifting by the window, and on to the lawn, where they need to be raked up... I also know the there is about a week and a half left before the grey and damp of the thirdweekendof October sets in, and then, it is like going into a long dark tunnel, more grey and lack of sunshine, not to mention cold and ice, until April or May.
Having lived in Central Florida for 23 plus years the last time, and in northern climes most of the remainder of my life, I have to say I will not miss: raking the leaves, smelling the dampness of the decomposing leaves, scraping layers of ice off the windshield, shovelinglanes of snow off the driveway, wearing bulky coats, gloves and scarves, and mostly, the grey grey skies that are the same color as the pavement for months at a stretch.
While I shall always cherish memories of Pennsylvania andIndianaliving, and I have learned like St. Paul,whatever state I am in to be content; nevertheless,Florida is hard to beat. But so many of you knew that already, since you spend a portion of the bleak midwinter down here among the sheltering palms.
So, when you folks up there in your gloomy and frigid Chicagoland condo, or the like, find yourselves in the throes of theunremittingcold anddreariness, take a longinglingeringlook at this post. And think of me fondly. Spare a thought for me. As I let the sunshine in!
No comments: Labels:Autumn in Florida,Central Florida,Florida landscape,Florida scenery,No more ice and snow,Winter is coming Sunday, October 3, 2021 World Communion at Shadyside Presbyterian Church - 2021As an update to my last post, here are a few photos from the worship service today at Shadyside Presbyterian Church. There, the Rev. Austin Crenshaw Shelley began her pastorate as the 12th Senior Minister, this morning. And how appropriate that it was also World Communion Sunday, a celebration which began in this very church in 1933, under the leadership of Hugh Thomson Kerr.
The service was beautiful and inspirational throughout, and especially so during the communion liturgy, in which Rev. Shelley brought together new and ancient words to draw the worshiper close and connect the worshiper to all Christians in every time and place.
When Austin and I talked together this past week, I told her my hope is that her tenure at Shadyside outlasts Dr. Kerr's. Lord willing, may it be so. By the way, Dr. Kerr served from 1913 to 1945. So let's aim for 33 years, that is, until 2044!
P.S. As you can see, the World Communion Sunday medallion I mailed to Austin on Thursday morning arrived in time for her to wear it this morning.
No comments: Labels:Austin Crenshaw Shelley,Shadyside Presbyterian Church,World Communion Sunday Thursday, September 30, 2021 World Communion Sunday is this coming SundaySunday October 3 is World Communion Sunday.
As all myfriends know, I am anamateursleuthwhere World Communion Sunday is concerned. Back in the 1990s Iresearched its history. I had the joy of speaking with members of Shadyside PresbyterianChurch and their families whoremembered its origins there in 1933. It was good to hear how the celebration came into being, and to record as much as I could learn about it.
You can find thearticle elsewhere on my blog andreprinted in other places as well.
Many many years later, I had the joy of serving as the Interim Senior Minister at Shadyside. As one of my seminary friends said to me, "John, you are doing your dream job!" And he was correct. It was a delightful two years that was also the culmination of forty years of ordainedministry.
Over the years,talking about World Communion Sunday has been a part of who I am, as alifelong friend of Shadyside. Fastforward to the middle of the night, last night, when I received an email from Peter Bodnar who is the Director ofCommunications at Shadyside. His messageincluded the information that the new Senior Minister who has herinaugural Sunday this Sunday, was hoping to wear one ofthese discs, as part of the worship service, since the day is WorldCommunion Sunday. But, there were no discs to be found at the church.
This came as asurprise to me. I know that at onetime all the ministers wore them. On WorldCommunion Sunday 2019, I wore one of them,which had been given to me personally. I had encouraged the associate minsters to wear theirs, but they were reluctant to do so. Even so, it seemedclear that they had them. What's become of them since issomething of anunansweredquestion.
At any rate, first thing this morning, I found my "CalWilson" discin the home office, and then called Rev. Shelley and told her that I wanted to send it to her, for her use thisSunday, andwhenever thereafter she deemed it appropriate.
So, off to the USPS I went, and it is on the way - overnight mail. It is scheduled to arrive tomorrow, so it will be there for Sunday's worship.
Here is the note that I sent with the World Wide Communion Disc today:
World Wide Communion DiscJust a little bit history on this disk. It was created to be worn by the pastors of Shadyside Presbyterian Church on world communion Sunday. The inscription on the disc conforms with the inscription on the much larger disc in the center of the chancel at Shadyside.
When Calvin Coolidge Wilson was Associate Pastor at Shadyside, he spearheaded the creation of these. At about the same time, Iresearched and wrote an article that was published in the Presbyterian Association Musicians journal, outlining the history of World Communion Sunday. When Cal retired from Shadyside, the church gave him a disc as aretirement gift keepsake. And then many years later, I had the joy of serving at Shadyside as the Interim Senior Minister.
In 2019, Cal was moving to be closer to his family, leaving the Pittsburgh area. One day he surprised me by coming to visit me at the church. In his hand was a box; in the box was his World Communion disc and chain. He knew how much I appreciated the history, and want to make sure that I had it, for myself.
It is a real treasure and a wonderful keepsake.
But even more, its part of the history of Shadyside Presbyterian Church. And I feel its very appropriate and fitting that it return to the church and be kept there for use on whatever World Communion Sundays the Senior Minister chooses to use it. Especially I think its a lovely item for this coming Sunday, as Reverend Shelley begins her time as Senior Minister.
So I hope that everyone through the years that has an opportunity to wear it at Shadyside will do so with joy, and appreciation the ongoing vitality and creativity of the congregation.
No comments: Labels:Shadyside Presbyterian Church,The Rev. Dr. John A. Dalles; Shadyside Presbyterian Church,World Commuion Sunday History,World Communion Sunday,Worship and World Communion Sunday Tuesday, September 28, 2021 Looking at the Neighborhood...
The past week or so has brought several occasions for me to take admiring glances at our neighborhood.
As you can see, it is very park like and lovely. We enjoyed these same landscapes for 23 plus years when we lived here previously. Those who follow me know that I enjoy what nature has to offer, whether here or elsewhere. Some of my posts over that past several years have to do with northern scenery. Which I also enjoy. But every visit we made back to Florida over the past three years reminded me of how very lovely Central Florida is, both naturally and as planned by developers down the decades.
Both of our neighborhoods are what you would call planned suburban. The one we lived in previously was designed in the late 1970s, with a golf course at its center. No, I do not golf. But there is nothing as pretty as a well maintained course. Our current neighborhood does not have that same feature in it, but it may have learned some things from earlier neighborhoods in the area. Certainly by the early 1990s, the number of people golfing on a regular basis slacked way off. And those who live here in Central Florida can rattle off the names of a number of courses that were here then and are here no longer, including Sabal Point Country Club, our son John leaded to golf, and Sweetwater Country Club. Bothe of th one are now in fact newer streets with newly built homes and other amenities.
But as I said in an earlier post, I don't know of anywhere else where the general scenery as one drives along is so parklike and soothing. Retention ponds are both necessary and mandated by local governments for the soughing off of excess water when we get our Florida rains. Most of those are situated so that they not only reflect the blue skies and palm trees, but are also home to many water birds, and usually have a fountain feature somewhere in the middle of them. And this is available to enjoy all yer long, since the pipes don't freeze and the ponds don't ice over.
This week, several neighbors reported seeing mama bears with their cubs, in they yards, not far from ours. Annie and Steven see them on nearly a weekly basis on their ring camera. And they live within walking distance of the high school in a neighborhood, not out in the country. Red shouldered hawks, osprey, and bald eagles are all around (we like looking at the bald eagle nest when we go to Arby's for a fast meal). Yes, natural beauty is available to people in many other places, but it seems more generally accessible here. And it is one of the many reasons I enjoy living in Central Florida.
About Collegiate Gothic architecture. What are your thoughts?
If you had been asked that question in the first half of the 20th century, chances are your response would have been mostly positive. Here is a look that harkens back to the halls of academe in Britain, and evokes the aura of a world set apart for learning. Even before you know the reason for the building, it announces itself as serious, conservative, solid, venerable, imposing, permanent. Certainly, it can also incorporate elements of asymmetric charm and even a bit of whimsy. But the overriding effect is grand.
Now, fast forward to the 1950s and the next several decades thereafter. What was being said about Collegiate Gothic architecture, then?
Not much good. Any of the styles were considered hopelessly passé. Indeed, in the years I was at Penn State, one of the architecture professors - hello Roy! - gave an annual popular walking tour of the campus, for architecture students, mainly to poke fun at the many campus buildings with beaux arts, Romanesque revival, Georgian, or Collegiate Gothic leanings. In the know observers of the architectural scene could have told you about the International Style, and its contemporary offspring. These were considered worthy of note and of praise. But Collegiate Gothic?Mere stage set dabbling.
Of course, then as now, every city has a collection of Collegiate Gothic structures, most of which were conceived in the 1920s and 1930s, and still function as intended. Homes, schools, hospitals, churches, and more. They are part of the urban landscape. And can be found in many a village or open countryside.
There are subsets of the style. You might immediately think of the all-grey stone structures. However, I am concentrating on a different look in this post. One of these subsets is the red brick with finely crafted limestone trim genre. You probably have an example or two near you. Or may even live, work, or study in one of them.Whether nearby, or your very own, how does it strike you?Good?Bad?Indifferent?
Where exactly does this red brick and whitish stone crisp style find its roots?The answer is, in the realm of royalty. In one particular building. That is, Hampton Court Palace. Where red brick with stone detailing set the bar high for all that followed. Some photos of Hampton Court are interspersed with much newer buildings in the group above. Can you tell which are which?
A visitor to Hampton Court may see elements of his college in Florida or apartment building in Manhattan. Of her local Methodist church, or quiet leafy suburb of character houses. Hampton Court is, at one and the same time, familiar and impressive to the American observer. "We have buildings like that, back home." And the architects would tell us, intentionally so. Stately, self-assured, dignified. In a way that even the finest International Style building seldom achieves.
Do we admire these buildings enough to revisit them with the intention of settling aside the architectural critics penchant for dismissing them?And are there lessons they can teach us about how we will live now, and in future?
Oak Island North Carolina has been a family destination since we were expecting son John. So more than 30 years. Every year we would drive down from Pittsburgh, and then we moved to Longwood, and we would drive up from Longwood. I always knew we were getting close, on the drive between 17 and Southport. Which meanders its way along the Cape Fear River estuary.
Year after year, we made the drive frequently. But in all those years we never stopped to see historic Brunswick Town. One day, it was just daughter Anne and I in the car. And I said to her, lets go on this little side trip and see this Brunswick Town. So we got off the main road and we went down a little windy country road. Not far down the road we came to a big body of water on our right, that I later learned is Orton Pond. Stop here, Dad, said Anne.Shewanted to take some photographs. So I pulled off, and we sat there at the side of the pond. Which was about eight or 10 feet lower than where we were parked.
And she took the pictures from the passenger seat of the car. Neither of us got out.
After taking a few photos she turned to me and said, "I wonder if there any alligators in this pond?" At which point I focused my attention on the water and couldnt quite believe what I saw. Because floating right there, not more than a foot or two off the shore, was a gigantic alligator. Both of us exclaimed about the fact that hed been there all the time. In fact he showed up in some of the pictures that Anne had already taken.
When we got to the beach house Judys mom and Judy were there. And I was telling them about this close encounter with the gator. And I said, "I wonder if theres anything posted online about it." So I put in the words 'Brunswick Town' and 'gator'. And sure enough, a video came up, which has been on the Internet for a long time thereafter, but I cant find it anymore.
In it, a husband and wife have parked us where we were parked. They got out of the car. And the wife says to the husband, "Where should I stand?"She was right around the passenger front headlight. He said, "There is good." So she stood there with the backdrop of Orton Pond behind her. And then her husband called out in a very loud voice, Hey Charlie! Hey Charlie!
At that moment, from far across the pond, you could see movement. He focused in on it. Sure enough it was a big gator. He called out once or twice again and the big gator kept swimming directly to them. And ended up in the water in exactly the spot we had seen him the day we had stopped. I was fascinated. And figured that probably people over time have been feeding this gator, and the locals had dubbed him Charlie.
Later in the week, our daughters fiancé Steven arrived by air the Wilmington airport. We went to pick him up. On the way back to Oak Island, I took the little side detour again. And parking where we parked before, I tried what the man in the video did. I called out, Hey Charlie! Hey Charlie!
And what I saw next was exactly the same as what was in that video. From far across the pond here came this giant alligator. And made a beeline directly for us. Until he stopped just offshore.
Which is plenty close enough.
Charlie on the edge of Orton Pond
Charlie hovering just underwater near the shore, not the signpost
This is what is on the signpost
Charlie is hoping you will ignore the signpost
A look at Charlie's profile
Hey Charlie!
Here's a different video than the one I describe. Same gator. Same location.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=EFcUXjROhHM
That is a question I'm asked often these days.
The answer is yes, and no.
Does the new house feel like home? Are we glad we are here? Are we enjoying being near the children and grandchildren? Are we happy to watch the arrival of cold and dreary weather up north and still have balmy weather to enjoy every day? Are we glad to be reconnecting with long-familiar faces and places? Have we visited some of our old favorite places and tried some new ones?
Yes to all of the above.
Have you unpacked all the boxes? Have you found places for all your things?
Nope. Not yet.
But these are still early days.
What we have discovered is that our new house is ideally suited to our needs. Even before we hung one piece of art on the wall, we looked at each other and said, "It feels like home". What a blessing that is, considering that we found and bought the house without ever setting foot inside it. We like our house, we like our neighborhood, we like being back in Central Florida.When I drive familiar roads, roads that I know like the back of my hand, I am continually moved by the beauty allaround. Idon't knowanywhere other thanFlorida where retention ponds are enhanced byfountains flowing deep and wide, palm trees standing tall at most intersections,ibis and egrets on the morning lawn, eagles and ospreys overhead, the occasional bear lumbering though the neighborhood, ever changing sunrises and sunsets that take your breath away.
We miss our Pittsburgh friends. But they know the way to the Sunshine State, and we hope to see them here before long. We miss being at Shadyside Presbyterian Church; what a wonderful congregation! And we know that they will always be in our hearts.
So then there is that other question I keep getting asked:
"What are you doing in retirement?"
First here is what I am NOT doing: Going to evening meetings. Directing a fall Stewardship campaign. Practicing diplomatic management of a large and sometimes cantankerous staff (I would name names here, but I am saving that for the "Memoirs"!). Commuting morning and evening. Dealing with church politics coming from outside the congregation. Ugh. Do I miss any of these things? Not one little bit. I suppose somewhere on the planet is someone who enjoys them all. I wish them well, and I am glad I am not them.
So here is what I AM doing in retirement" Spending time with extended family. Writing. (Including on this blog, where I am as I say, telling truth as it needs to be told). Photography. Reading. Vintage shopping and vintage watch collecting. Hymn writing. Getting up and going to bed when I darn well please. Whether it is earlier or later than what was once customary. Not setting an alarm. Attending whatever worship services I choose to on Sunday mornings, virtually, in casual clothes, no ties, no robe, no microphones. Looking forward to a trip to the Holy Land. Working on the house.
Do you miss full time ministry? No. That was then. Forty years of then. It was a joy and honor to serve; but I cannot say that I am pining away for it.
Stay tuned for late breaking reports!
Outside my office at Shadyside Presbyterian ChurchWelcome, Friends!Welcome to this series of thoughts and reflections on the Christian journey and life in general.
My hope is that you will find ideas here that will be helpful to you, or that will be an encouragement for you to read and worship and seek as God prompts you.
If you have a church home, I hope you are a faithful member there--worshiping and sharing in education, mission and fellowship.
If you do not have a church home, I hope that God will speak to your heart to point you toward a worshiping fellowship where your faith can be lived out in tangible and meaningful ways.
If you live in Western Pennsylvania, I encourage you to visit the church I most recently served, Shadyside Presbyterian Church in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
If you live far away from Western Pennsylvania, you can worship with Shadyside live on Sunday mornings at 11 AM Eastern Time, by going to the church website and linking to their live webcast.
Here is the church website:
www.shadysidepres.org
Also, I write hymn texts and you can find some samples of them at this blog:
New Hymn Texts of John A. Dalles
And this website:
http://www.hymntime.com/tch/bio/d/a/l/dalles_ja.htm
I hope you will let me know what you think of what you find in these postings by posting a comment. Or by using the feature at the end of the post for fast "reactions" feedback. Just click the box that is closest to how the post strikes you.
Blessings,
- John
About MeJohn A. Dalles is a retired Presbyterian clergyman hymn-writer. Most recently he was Interim Senior Minister of Shadyside Presbyterian Church, Pittsburgh. A graduate of Penn State, Lancaster Seminary (MDiv) Pittsburgh Seminary (Doctor of Ministry), he has served First Presbyterian Church of South Bend, Fox Chapel Presbyterian Church, Pittsburgh. From 1997 through 2018, he was Senior Pastor of Wekiva Presbyterian Church in Longwood, FL. As a part of his ministry, Wekiva became the first church in the USA to present live webcasts of worship, a ministry inaugurated Sun, Jan. 2, 2005. Dalles is a writer of hymn texts. His hymns are published in hymnbooks in the USA, Canada and Australia. He has published three books of hymns, COME, O SPIRIT, SWIFT CURRENTS AND STILL WATERS, and WE TURN TO GOD. His hymn texts are also set as choral anthems by noted sacred composers. His 2009 hymn, God Bless the Work Your People Do won the 14th annual, Macalester Plymouth United Church Hymn Contest. He is married to the former Judith Taylor; they have a son, John Taylor Dalles and a daughter, Anne Elizabeth Dalles Sandoval.View my complete profileWith Judy
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