Time to take a break...

Sorry for the last VERY long posts re: U2/Dirty Day. As this new ministry matures - and as I make more and more contacts in the local music/art world - I found it important to find ways of clarifying what I meant by the pursuit of beauty as inspired by God's Holy Spirit. Not only have I truly been haunted by the U2 song, "Dirty Day," for the past few months, but it gave me deeper and deeper insights and clues into how to talk about art, faith, spirit and beauty. There is more work to be done, to be sure, but this was a very helpful start. I hope it didn't drive you too crazy.

Well, rest assured there won't be any more posts from me for a bit as we are getting ready for our daughter's wedding in NJ. What a treat that will be! Not only are we thrilled that she and her beau have decided to deepen their commitment (and asked me to do the ceremony) but we are almost as happy to be able to reconnect with the wider family - and make new family connections, too. It will be a big Italian wedding - music and food and drinks - with a Scots-Irishman officiating: what a delight! Made me think of this old Chuck Berry song:

My wild ass brother from San Francisco (and his dear wife) will be there, my dad and sister and nephew - even daughter number two (who tends to shy away from family gatherings.) All in all, as John Lennon once quipped, "a splendid time is guaranteed for all.." And listen to this: Jess has decided that the father/daughter dance will be none other than... another song from the master: "Roll Over Beethoven."

And then just to top things off, after all the festivities are over and we spend a night at my old seminary in NYC, we'll have a chance to have some drinks with an old friend and former pianast from Tucson before heading back to the Berkshires. How blessed is that!

The only sobering part to the whole gig is that the wedding will fall at about the same time my mentor in ministry is going to be laid to rest. He died on Saturday after a long and ugly disease. As I noted earlier, I had the joy of being with his daughter just the day before he died and I am both glad that Sam is at rest and sad that he is gone. But his children and wife were with him when he said good bye... and I give thanks for that. And one of our dearest shared friends will be at the wedding, too, so that is extra sweet.

So... we are off to NYC - children - parties and old friends. I leave you with this relic cuz it puts everything into perspective for me: