“Summertime”
For most of us Memorial Day Weekend marks the beginning of summer. I woke up to this new season this past weekend with some sort of expectation that while the “livin’ might not be (as) easy” as the old song “Summertime” seems to predict, the next few months promise a shift in the rhythm of our days and evenings. Longer daylight, fireflies (yes, I saw a few last night), some summer vacation time, grandkids running through the grass, swimming and kayaking on the river, summertime picnics, weekenders returning to the cottages along Riverview Road where I live.
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The weekend started with the Strawberry Festival in Heathsville. The whole countryside seemed to descend on this small rural town. St. Stephen’s Church there does a wonderful job of putting on this festival day which not only marks the highlight of strawberry time but also the arrival of summer. The day was summer warm, a slight breeze blowing around, people in shorts, kids in summer outfits, dogs on leashes sniffing all the wonderful food smells coming from the food trucks, a few lucky ones getting to lick the bottom of their owner’s bowls of strawberry shortcake.
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The day was as colorful as the several aisles of booths displaying artistic, whimsical and practical craft items that seemed to call out, “Take me home with you!" Quilts, handmade clothes for kids and grown-ups alike, bird houses made of various materials, wind chimes, whimsical garden items, leather goods, polished rocks, jewelry handcrafted out of shells, stones, glass, and artwork in an amazing variety – so much to beckon everyone to take something new, fresh and fun home with them. I noticed some definite themes: tie-dye clothing (took me back to the ‘60s); spoons (wind chimes, garden items, jewelry – who have guessed the creative possibilities of spoons?); and of course, birds.
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The bird theme (one of my favorites) was so innovative I started taking a few pictures. I was sorely tempted to adopt a few of the birds I saw, particularly those made of brightly colored metal. Of course, none could really fly, like the birds that wing around my little river home. Unlike flesh and feather birds these festival birds were definitely grounded. But as I watched these human creations bob and spring in the morning breezes, my heart went out to them. Don’t we all watch the birds around us and wish that we too could fly, soar on unseen currents, feel the wind beneath our wings, stretch out our vision and contemplate the curve of the earth which is our home? If I brought one of these grounded creations, would it simply yearn to really fly like the real birds that might use it as simply a perch before taking off again? While there are benefits in being grounded, don’t we yearn to “fly” too?
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Maybe summer is a combination of both, a combination of simply being present with our “grounding” as human beings and yet having some “soaring” times too in order to expand our horizons. So, I am looking forward to sitting grounded in an old Adirondack chair beside the little house I call home beside the river I also call home – watching a brilliant sun sink below a western sky uniquely colored by the Creator. And I am also looking forward to taking off in a man made “bird” (airplane) and heading into a western sky several times this summer traveling to other parts of this incredible earth we also call
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home. How strange that in some ways both grounding and flying times stretch our horizons. If we slow down, honor and savor the gifts of each way of summertime “being.” So, my summertime wish for you is both grounding and soaring times, times that refresh and renew mind, body and spirit. May it be so for each and every one of us!
Torrence
"Downing bridge" bald eagle and Food Lion Sign photos courtesy of Anne Neuman.
Other photographs by Torrence Harman, including background clover (at Farnham Church)
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Sunday's loose plate offering goes to the Farnham &
St. John's Discretionary Fund to help the needy in the community, so please be generous! Thank you.
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Sign at Food Lion
Congrats to our St. J. parishioner,
Ian
!!
"
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Summertime at St. John's & Farnham
*
Combined parish Sunday Services at 10 a.m.
1st & 3rd Sundays at St. John's with Communion;
2nd & 4th Sundays at Farnham with Morning Prayer
(except June 9th, which is Communion because it's Pentecost.)
* Feel free to come dressed
summer casual
. Don't miss these Sundays if you are here. It's a great time to re-connect with your friends at your sister church.
*
Kids sit with their families
for Sunday Services. The young people programming on Sundays to recommence Sunday, Sept. 15
th
.
* Don't miss
"Queen Anne" Sunday
on
June 30
th
at Farnham when we use the
1662 book of Common Prayer.
*
Church picnic
at Belle Isle on
Saturday, July 20
th
with "Music by the River" More details to come.
* Summer
E-pistles
with a Celtic theme be sent out twice a month on the 1st and 3rd weeks of the month.
* Mark your calendars
NOW
for our
Shrine Mont
weekend
Friday Sept. 20 - Sunday, Sept. 22.
More details to come.
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link
to Torrence's article in June's
CHESAPEAKE
Style
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Speaker series begins June 18
th
.
Details in next week's E-pistle.
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Sunday June 2
nd
Holy Eucharist
Joint Congregation service
10:00
a.m. at
St. John's
no service at Farnham
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Sunday June 9
th
Holy Eucharist
wear red for Pentecost
Joint Congregation service
10:00
a.m.
at Farnham
no service at St. John's
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Sunday June 16
th
Holy Eucharist
10:00
a.m. at
St. John's
no service at Farnham
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Sunday June 23
rd
Morning Prayer
10:00
a.m.
at
Farnham
no service at St. John's
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Come Worship With Us
Sunday Service this week
10:00 a.m. St. John's Church
Warsaw
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