Farnham & St. John's
The Weekly Message
“Random Thoughts”

Beauty in the Unexpected: The twining of morning glory vines on the wrought iron railings at N. Farnham church. Brilliant blue flowers welcoming an early Sunday morning before our outdoor service. They surprise me since during pre-pandemic times they would have been untwined and cast away before they became “invasive” as marring the symmetry of place, perhaps considered weedy and untidy. I love the idea of invasive beauty creeping around and twining around things – especially on a Sunday morning. I think of the hymn, “When morning gilds the skies, my heart awakening cries . . . .” Well, this day it was morning glories gilding my pathway. And don’t I remember a recent Gospel passage about letting God decide what is a weed and what is not?
Why can’t They just Get Along? The hummingbirds are at it again. Fighting for the territory around the feeders after relatively calm relationships during the summer months. I know from researching hummingbird behavior that they are basically territorial and concerned about protecting what they consider to be the feeder for their immediate “family.” Essentially, a “fixed pie” mentality. That there is only a fixed amount of resources and sharing means less for me and my “tribe.” Such “backyard politics” made me think of our human political systems and the idea of a fixed pie mentality about power and control of resources. Watching “warring” hummingbirds triggered thoughts about warring parties in national politics right now. Why can’t we all just get along? Set our sights on what is best for all of us together, not see the “other” as some kind of enemy that needs to be defeated? Even as a child I watched “playground” politics and found myself drawn into a mediator role. Then several decades of functioning as a mediator in family law matters. Can’t get away from a continual desire for the family of humankind and all God’s creatures to work together, to share, not fight each other. As for the hummers, wish I could talk “hummingbird” language and let them know there is a continuing supply of hummingbird “manna” (sugar water) available. I wonder if they would listen?

Packing/UnPacking/ReCycling: In August I spent approximately two weeks in Boone, N. C. for some vacation time with Torre and David, my daughter and son-in-law. Both busy doctors but in the midst of moving – just around the corner from their current home to a slightly larger one. An older one they had purchased and spent about a year in extensive renovation. Benefits? A larger lot, higher elevation, clearer horizon of the mountain overlooking Boone, more space to welcome visiting friends and family and accommodate the multi-footed members of their immediate family (four cats and Wally, the Bassett). I wanted to help and what better way to spend vacate-tion time than doing what I could to assist their vacating one space to move into an expanded one. My role? To help pack up at the old house, unpack at the new house while they also made decisions about what to take with them, what to let go of, what to recycle and what to add. As churches such as St. John’s and Farnham are trying to get to higher ground (so to speak) to view a clearer horizon in this unsettling time, I reflect on the time helping Torre and David move. The idea of moving into expanded spaces and a newer and altered but more practical and even refined way of living. This pandemic time is forcing us to reexamine how we use our religious and spiritual spaces and how we live together as congregations and within the larger community. A good time to maybe consider what is essential to carry forward, what enhances our life together, consider what is not and can be let go of, what can be recycled. Consider what to keep, what to share, what is to be left behind, what to be passed forward. Tough when the future appears to be uncertain as it unfolds. Challenging because it requires patience. And trust that there is a Divine design.  Patience and trust – not always easy for us humans. Maybe something to pray for. Something to ponder.

Torrence
Last Sunday at Farnham & St. John's
Did you realize that the face masks are "morning glory blue?"
Last
month at
Farnham


Video of Sumner Elwell taken by Susan Crowley on August 2nd at our farewell to the Elwells as they prepared to move back to Maine.

(Yeah, it took Lucy this long to figure out how to put it on YouTube, and she had help.)
Upcoming Sunday Morning Prayer Services
Sunday, Sept 6th

9 a.m. Outdoors
at Sabine Hall
sponsored by St. John's Church

followed by

11 a.m. Virtual

Service
Sunday, Sept. 13th


9 a.m. Outdoors

at Farnham

followed by
11 a.m. Virtual Service


Sunday, Sept. 20th

9 a.m. Outdoors
at Sabine Hall
sponsored by St. John's Church

followed by

11 a.m. Virtual

Service
Sunday, Sept. 27th


9 a.m. Outdoors

at Farnham

followed by
11 a.m. Virtual Service

The Parish Prayer List
Courtenay Altaffer
John Barber
Martha Berger
Randall Bone
Sue Bowie
Nancy Allin Bush
Mary Claycomb
Constance Edwards
Bob File
Regina Griggs
Barbara & Harry Grander
The Rev. Howard Hanchey
Johnny Harhai
Weir Harman
Mary Hertling
Billy Hooper
Rebecca Hubert
Marcia Jenkins
Stephanie, Nick & Donovan Kaywork
Jim & Sharon Krider
Mary Douglas Lawton
The Rt. Rev. Peter Lee
Susan Lewis
Frank Lynch
Susannah Marais
Judi Newman
Kirsten Palubinski
George Patrick
Ed Rynd
James Rynd
Debbie Belfield Stacks
Scott Strickler
Waldy Sulik
Billy Tennyson
Roclyn Tennyson
Connie Thompson
Matthew Yates
and Rose Mary Zellner
Please e-mail any updates to the prayer list to parishchurchnews@gmail.com Replying to this e-mail will send it to Torrence.
Upcoming Birthdays & Anniversaries
Sept. 5th - David Gallagher
Sept. 10th - Jim Crowley
Sept. 14th - Dean & Sandy Garretson
Sept. 30th - Bill & Kim Calvert
There will be an outdoor Morning Prayer Service at Sabine Hall at 9:00 a.m. this coming Sunday, weather permitting. It will be followed by an 11:00 a.m. virtual service. Log-on instructions have changed slightly, but can be found on our web-site, farnhamwithstjohns.org
Farnham Church
St. John's Church