Well that was fun.

Graduation at last!

This was actually back in May. But like so many things, it doesn't exist until you get the photos back... this one from Starr King's photographer.



The school allows each graduate to speak for two minutes.
Here's what I said at graduation:
------
"Spirit of Life, Come unto Me
Sing in my heart all the stirrings of compassion."

My name is Charlie, I'm just finishing up a ministerial internship in New Orleans, LA,

And I have one bit of learning I would like to share with those who are going to be ministering, where ever that may be...

And this learning has to do with compassion.

Now "Compassion for" is the usual form of compassion-- helping the poor, feeding the hungry.

But Starr King introduced us to a different paradigm, "Compassion WITH"-- the idea of being an ally. Companioning others on THEIR journey. COMPASSION WITH is an important tool for social change.

And when I took the job in New Orleans, I thought I would be present for the congregations, in a compassionate way.

What I did not realize was that there is a third compassion--
"Compassion OF"-- Being a part of a compassionate community.

THOSE WHO COME TO WORK with those in southern Louisiana learn it...

Even in OUR struggle there is joy.
Even in disaster,
YES Tears!
But also dreams,
and music,
and deliciousness.

The Compassion With keeps us separate.

Ministry, as I see it NOW, is all about compassion OF.

I AM Singing in MY heart, all the stirrings OF COMPASSION.

Always Use your Best China!

So this past Sunday I preached a sermon at First Unitarian Universalist Church of New Orleans.

The title was "Always Use Your Best China" and it was inspired by a set of tiles in the Rockridge BART station in Oakland, California.

Here are the tiles:







Do you always use your best china?

If you right-click and save the images, you'll save them full size... or right-click and "view image" to see full size.

Last week I went on a retreat in western North Carolina at a place called "The Mountain"


Yep, that's the view from the cabin's front porch.
A very magical place.

Charlie goes to Jazz Fest!

I went to day 2 of "New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival" to hear two acts...

The first was Cowboy Mouth... I've posted on them before!

The second was Simon and Garfunkel!! really.

While the tornadoes missed us... the bad weather had made the whole field muddy.

By the time S&G appeared, though, people were standing in the puddles, and the sun came out! The music was nice... they played almost entirely old covers, though one of the songs... maybe Cecelia(?) had what sounded like a Grateful Dead tune stuck in the middle of it... which was fun.
I wonder if this is the last reunion.

That's all for now.

Gay Easter Parade, French Quarter, New Orleans

Ysterday there were several Easter Parades... this was the latest one in the afternoon... the gay one!

As the crowds gathered on Bourbon Street....



First a band...


Then lots of carriages, and pickup trucks








That's it... caught some beads... some other guys caught teddy bears or teddy ducks.

Aint life in New Orleans strange?

New Orleans... what can I say?


Saturday afternoon... here come horses

And a coffin!

And mourners wearing paper bags!

It's the Ain'ts funeral... the end of a tradition of loving the Saints even though they never win anything.

So now the Ain'ts have had last rites, and are gone for ever.

Who dat?

The Last Parade of Mardi Gras!

Well, all those parades... I felt very much like an observer at Carnival... But that changed on Fat Tuesday itself.



I took part in the Saint Ann's Parade... from Marigny to the French Quarter. It was nice to be something other than an observer, and I didn't care that there were no fancy doubloons being thrown.

But first, a bit of Zulu, the parade traditionally done in blackface (sort of)





Zulu started at 8 AM... and went on for a long time. I only caught one thing... a mini-frisbee. Unlike others, this parade had a sort of tailgating aspect to it... clearly a family affair, smaller in scale, and more about community.

I also caught two cups... and promptly gave one away.

I left after a few floats to catch up with my friends Dale and Dave in Faubourg Marigny (The Marigny Suburb) just outside the French Quarter. The goal was to follow a parade of home-grown costumes. If I had known better I would have created a more elegant costume. For example:

Dave got dressed up a bit...

As did a couple at their B&B... I guess they'd be house organs then? They had a small cassette player playing Bach under their frock.


Folks were gathering in Marigny, just milling around.







this is us...








He looks super!

At some point things started to move...

I bet his name is Jack...



These women were dressed as "Air Nagin" flight attendants... hoping Mayor Nagin flies away soon.


Once in the French Quarter, there was a costume competition...


Costumes are from the various balls...
This one was from a ball called "things that have vanished"
The French Opera house burned down almost a century ago.

And K&B was the local drug store chain.

By the way, the other costume was De-gas-ga a sort of combination of lady gaga and Degas.

It was a zoo in the French Quarter!


There were lots of others in line... but the crowd was a CRUSH... so we took a few snaps and split (or actually popped out of the crowd like watermelon seeds!)


Charlie, reporting from Mardi Gras!

"Merry Christmas!"

want more? Here's a pre-K view of the parade:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHg7ZUtKVsU