The 12th day of Christmas: a woman in orange is waiting for me

1/5

Charles tells me a woman in orange is waiting for me.  I anticipate and am right. I know her from work around the Interfaith Assembly on Homelessness and Housing. And SPSA. And Westside Campaign Against Hunger. She’s from a Hindu sect that sponsors a women’s homeless shelter nearby. She knows we housed people during Occupy and is hoping we can take some of her women one night a week. Makes me a little nervous, but….I ask her to write me up a proposal to share with my Session. We’ll consider it. As long as they’ve got someone for sleepover, well, it could work…

ETHEL is hard at work in the Sanctuary. Ralph is auditioning a new violin player.

Pat O want to show me the construction work being done in the chapel. The old closet, actually once the office of the Gray Panthers and later West Side Peace Action, has been removed as well as the small attic. Many things have   been revealed. The workers have  not recognized the large, long wooden boxes as actually bass organ pipes. I show Pat parts of the pipe that can be tuned to adjust the sound. Years ago, when I saw the pipes, I thought they had never been installed, like so many other incomplete projects at West-Park. But when Austin Organ reps came to examine our organ, they found that eccentric organist Allan Van Zoeren had actually removed the pipes to change the sound, making it his creation in 1954. Van Zoeren would ultimately move to Portland, Oregon and found his own internationally famous organ company, yet one more West-Park/Portland connection.

And then, for the first time in six years I saw the wooden cross candle holders from the sanctuary, the candle holders that were used to dramatically and romantically light the sanctuary during the Christmas season. Just in time for Twelfth Night and Epiphany. Next year, for sure….

Late in the day, it’ getting colder, Dion drops by to say Hi. His time at his old place has finally ended. And he will do anything to help. Dion is one of those truly good people. Way will come, as the Quakers say.

That's all one...

12/16

Stairwell Theatre 12th Night Jam

12/16
I hear music in the sanctuary. Sam G is at the piano, practicing for his Twelfth Night Jam coming up Thursday, working o  original arrangements of Shakespeare songs.

12/17

Representatives of Broadway Bound kids are in looking for time and space.

Gregory  makes another of his visits, just looking for metrocard money.

I explain to Charles that as long as the front doors are open, it’s OK with me if Geoffrey sleeps in the church. He occasionally sleeps up at Elise’s Advent church as well.

On the other hand, the sleeping  man outside, the one who looks like a mean Uncle Ben, needs to go. He’ s on the sidewalk, between our steps and Barney Greengrass. Completely wrapped up in a comforter, with various debris around him.

12/18

Back after a breakfast at Union with representatives from Ferguson.  It’s clear that we clergy are not the leaders here. Like so much else, we need to be chaplains, and in accompaniment.  But the young folks on the street are already way ahead of us. With Occupy veterans providing logistical support. The morning  ended with another die-in, this time on Broadway and 120^th.

David S tries to help me with the sleeping man . But he pops up, gets very hostile. Tells us to do what we gotta do. Which is call Project Reachout and then ultimately the police, who do succeed in getting him to move on. Even though we are responsible for the sidewalk, it is still public.

An Irish artist looking for space.

Another emergent church (with Baptist roots) in looking  for major worship time space. They’ve got 4 services, 800 members.   Still amazes me. Not quite sure what to make of that.

Pat meets with an arts group with desire for major space. Their own house has lots share of intrigue.

Sam

There’s a low turnout for Sam’s  Stairwell Theatre 12^th Night Jam. Maybe it’s the winter and cold weather. (Well, that’s As You Like It..) the night begins by giving an explanation of the day. The end of Christmas. A night of revelry and role reversal, tricks and pranks. The play itself probably written for a revel.

There are songs. And monologues. And games. And mustaches. Mulled wine and bags of treats. Ending of course, with Feste’s song. (…the rain it raineth every day…)There’s a warmth in the darkness of the sanctuary.

(As for music, I always remember the wistful, melancholy, magical score written by the Brooklyn band Hem for the 2009 Shakespeare in the park production…)

Then comes time for sharing. I work my way through Robert Earl Keen’s Merry Christmass from the family, still rough. And later Blue eyes cryin’ in the rain… A couple from Guatemala shares crafts and a song.

I feel like Sam is really on to something with his format. Just needs more people. (Believe me Sam, I’ve been there…) and finding the right way to  get them there.

….that’s all one, our play is done….