Happy Thanksgiving!

Well, it's Thanksgiving Day again, the only estadoünidense holiday the Lovely Mona and I still celebrate. We'll be having our extended family over for turkey and all the trimmins' (as the kids say) on Friday, as today is not a holiday in Panamá and everybody is working. Tomorrow, however, is an official day off in honor of Día de Independencia de España, which actually takes place on Saturday. So it all works out! Another member of the family will be missing from the table this year, and that's tough for us all. I give thanks for the friendship of both Janet and Elizabeth and really miss them both.

I'm thankful for so much, especially for the Dance Party community and your generosity in helping fund our sabbatical this year and for helping us purchase this computer. I'm thankful for all your thoughtful and clever comments and for meeting the East Coast Contingent earlier this year. I'm thankful that we got to meet so many blogger friends, and it's always good to see Matty Boy. I'm even thankful for FaceBook onnacounna I've found many old friends from the old days. I'm thankful that we were able to spend time with Miss Bebé and her parents, and her auntie and cousins in Boston. I'm thankful that we were able to spend time with our parents and siblings and their families and our cousins and nephews and nieces and for the fact that they all live some 3287 miles away, more or less.

And now, the traditional and offical Dance Party Favorite Thanksgiving Day Message:

"You have taken the land which is rightfully ours. Years from now, my people will be forced to live in mobile homes on reservations. Your people will wear cardigans and drink highballs. We will sell our bracelets by the roadsides. You will play golf and enjoy hot hors d'oeuvres. My people will have pain and degradation. Your people will have stick shifts. The gods of my tribe have spoken. They have said, "Do not trust the pilgrims, especially Sarah Miller. And for all these reasons, I have decided to scalp you and burn your village to the ground."
Wednesday Addams in Addams' Family Values

It's Thanksgiving Eve

Nicked from www.bartcop.com

This Is Way Cool!

My daughter, Tara, Mother of the World's Most Beautiful Granchile™ turned me on to this. 70 muppets were involved. I nicked it from Nerdist

Tuesday Miss Bebé, The World's Most Beautiful Grandchild™ Blogging

Dancing with mommy and some guy in funny clothes!

Padre Mickey's Feminist Theatre Presents. . .

Care Bears On Fire "Barbie Eat a Sandwich"
por 99dollarmusicvids

Big freakin' hat tip to Dr. Zaius of Zaius Nation

Ayer en Parroquia San Cristóbal

Yesterday was our Harvest Thanksgiving service at Parroquia San Cristóbal. We usually have two services on Sunday: and English-language service at 7:30 am and una Misa en español a las 10:30 am, but we had a single bilingual service yesterday at 10:30 am. It was nice to sleep in a bit on a Sunday! The Altar Guild had decorated the church with vegetables and fruit and everything looked wonderful.






Our Coro de los Jovenes sang the offertory anthem.




The children of the parish brought up more baskets of fruit and vegetables at the Offertory. It was difficult to cense the altar as there was so much around the altar. All the fruit and vegetables are given to the poor.






I'm not yelling; we're singing the Doxology!



Our newest choir, the Young Men's Choir (which is really more of a quartet, but new members may be added soon), sang a special song after communion.



Then we all went across the street to the patio at Instituto Episcopal San Cristóbal for our parish family thanksgiving luncheon. We had six turkeys, lots of rice and peas and salad and vegetables AND pumpkin pie for dessert. A grand time was had by all!

New House Rules

Feast of St. Clement of Rome, Bishop and Martyr

Almighty God, you chose your servant Clement of Rome to recall the Church in Corinth to obedience and stability: Grant that your Church may be grounded and settled in your truth by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit; reveal to it what is not yet known; fill up what is lacking; confirm what
has already been revealed; and keep it blameless in your service; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

As is often the case with these first-century saints, we do not know much about the life of Clement. Some of the ancient sources claim that he was a member of the family of T. Flavius Clemens, cousin of the Emperor Domatian, but most scholars in our time believe that he was actually an ex-slave of that household. Some sources, including Origen, believed that he is the person mentioned by St. Paul in Philippians 4:3 Yes, and I ask you also, my loyal companion, help these women, for they have struggled beside me in the work of the gospel, together with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are in the Book of Life. Clement's name does appear on the different lists of the Bishops of Rome, so it is safe to call him one of the Popes. Hegesippus, Irenaeus, and Jerome all list him as third after St. Peter, while Hippolytus and Augustine list him as second after St. Peter. Irenaeus of Lyon wrote hat Clement saw the blessed Apostles and conversed with them, and had yet ringing in his ears the preaching of the Apostles and had their tradition before his eyes, and not he only for many were then surviving who had been taught by the Apostles. St. Epiphanius repeated a story about Clement being ordained by St. Peter and refusing the office of bishop at first: Whether he received episcopal ordination from Peter inthe life-time o the Apostles, and declined the office, for he says in one of his epistles, "I retire, I depart, let the people of God be in peace," (for we have found this set down in certain Memoirs), or whether he was appointed by the Bishop Cletus after he had succeeded the Apostles, we do not clearly know.

When we call Clement the Bishop of Rome, we must realize that the office was quite different than it is now. As far as we can tell, bishops who were sole rulers of the local congregation were not yet known in Rome; in fact, in his epistle,Clement seems to speak of bishops and presbyters, or priests, as if these were identical terms. There is another book written about the same time as his epistle, The Shepherd, by Hermas, which says that, of two copies of a certain vision One is to be sent to Clement and the other to Grapte; and Clement shall then send it to the cities abroad, for that is his business. It is possible that Clement was one of several leaders of the Church in Rome, and that he was in charge of relations with churches in other cities.

Most of what we know about Clement comes from an epistle he wrote to the Christians in Corinth around the year 96. There are some other writings attributed to him, but most sources, including Eusebius, do not believe that he wrote anything other than the one epistle. If Clement was in charge of relations with churches in other cities, it makes sense that he would write to the Christians in Corinth. The reason for his letter was that the feuds and dissensions which had threatened the unity of the Christian community in Corinth during Paul's time had reappeared a generation later. Some of the younger hot-heads had risen up against their lawfully appointed presbyters and ran them out of office! According to others, the deposed ministers had always performed their duties without reproach and were good leaders of their communities, but I guess they were not doing things the way these younger men thought things should be done. It is quite possible that the dispute was more personal than doctrinal and it may have been the action of an insubordinate minority who resent the authority of their seniors. Clement denounced the handful of individuals as the troublemakers, but he included the entire Corinthian church in his criticism. He asserted that, as a result of their material prosperity, the Corinthian Church had become swollen with pride, and that this had given rise to the present jealousy, strife and disorder. In the epistle, Clement gives an account of salvation history and he also speaks of the importance of authority and respect for those whom God has put in authority. He explains the authority of bishops. and he also explains the importance of a clergy who serve both God and God's people, the Church. It was Clement's great hope that his epistle would induce the erring sheep of Corinth to repent of their pride, learn the grace of humility and find their way back to the peace and unity of Christian brotherhood. He quotes the Hebrew scriptures (which were the only scriptures of the Church at that time) throughout the epistle, although it can be confusing since he strings quotations from different books together so that it seems as if the come from the same source. The Epistle of Clement was widely known and held in very great esteem by those of the early Church. It was publicly read in numerous churches and regarded as scripture in some communities.

There is an apocryphal Acts of St. Clement in Greek. It relates how Clement converted Theodora, wife of Sisinnius, a courtier of Nerva, and after performing numerous miracles, he converted Sisinnius and four hundred and twenty-three other persons of high and noble rank. The Emperor Trajan heard of the conversions and banished Clement to the Crimea, where he quenched the thirst of two thousand Christians with a water miracle. The entire country was converted and seventy-five churches were built. This upset Trajan so much that he ordered Clement to be arrested. Clement was chained to an iron anchor and thrown into the sea, where he received the Crown of Martyrdom. Yet every year, the tide receded two miles, revealing a shrine built by angels which housed Clement's bones. In the year 868, St. Cyril (of Cyril and Methodius fame) passed through Crimea, and he dug up some bones from a mound, where he also found an anchor; he believed that these were the relics of St. Clement. These relics are now in the altar of St. Clement's Church in Rome.

The following is a prayer from Clement's epistle: Teach us, O Lord, to hope in your Name, which is the source and fount of all creation. Open the eyes of our hearts to know you, who alone are Highest amid the highest, and ever abides Holy amidst the holy. You bring down the haughtiness of the proud, and scatter the devices of the people. You set up the lowly on high, and you cast down the lofty. Riches and poverty, death and life, are in your hand; you alone are the discerner of every spirit and the God of all flesh. Your eyes behold the depths and survey the works of humanity, you are the aid of those in peril the Savour of those who despair, the creator and overseer of everything that has breath. By you the nations of the earth are increased; and from humanity you have chose out such as love you through your dear child Jesus Christ, by whom you have taught us and raise us to sanctification and honor. Grant us, O Lord, your help and protection. Deliver the afflicted, pity the lowly, raise the fallen, reveal yourself to the needy, heal the sick and bring home your wandering people. Feed the hungry, ransom the captive, support the weak, comfort the faint-hearted. Let all the nations of the earth know that you are God alone, that Jesus Christ is your child, and that we are your people and the sheep of your pasture. . .

Hoy en la Parroquia San Cristóbal

Tomorrow is our Fiesta de Acción de Gracias, or Harvest Thanksgiving Service. The Altar Guild, as it their tradition, purchased fruit and vegetables to decorate the chancel. These will all be donated to los pobres after the service tomorrow. We will have one bilingual service tomorrow, and then head across the street to the patio of Instituto Episcopal San Cristóbal  for our Parish Thanksgiving luncheon. It's almost a pot luck, with food donated by the various guilds of the parish (I roasted a turkey) and it has become a tradition at the parish.

Padre Canonigo Luís Cáceres had a service with some of the students from the school; I don't remember what this was about, but the Lovely Mona took photos. They're probably going to do some sort of Servico Social para los pobres (social service with the poor). That's what they do!

We'll have photos of all the happenings mañana, también.
Sylvia Patterson at work

The Chancel





Padre Luís' students

Weekend Red Mr. Peanut Bank and Gallito Mescalito Blogging

It the Holiday Season. Well, it's the Holiday Season here in Panamá; we started on November 1st! And what goes with the Holiday Season, besides lots of good food and drink and stuff? That's right: re-runs Holiday Season Classics! And here at Padre Mickey's Dance Party we have our Holiday Season Classics, just like your favorite television station, the only difference being ours aren't thirty to forty years old. So this week and next week just sit back and enjoy It's A Red Mr. Peanut Bank And Gallito Mescalito Thanksgiving, Charlie Brown Everbuddy!


Red Mr. Peanut Bank Well, Gallito Mescalito, it's that time of year again!
Gallito Mescalito ¡Shriek! ¿Shriek? ¡Shriek!
Red Mr. Peanut BankYes, I can understand that, the smell of roasting turkey makes you nervous, but it's only once or twice a year.
Gallito Mescalito ¡Shriek!
Red Mr. Peanut Bank Well, I don't like it that much either; all that cooking really heats up the house, and with Summer almost here it's hot enough around here!



Miss Egyptian Hippo of Love Hi boys! Up to no good, I suppose!
Red Mr. Peanut Bank Good evening, Miss Egyptian Hippo of Love. You look marvelous, as always!
Gallito Mescalito ¡Shriek!
Miss Egyptian Hippo of Love Thank you, boys; you're so sweet! Well, it's that time of year, isn't it? The days are shorter, the nights longer, the smell of burning leaves in the air, and in some places it's snowing like all get out!
Gallito Mescalito ¿Shriek?
Red Mr. Peanut Bank Yes, I agree with my loving partner; what on EARTH are you talking about?
Miss Egyptian Hippo of Love Well, not HERE, of course, but back in the ol' U.S.A. I kinda miss all that.
Gallito Mescalito ¡Shriek!
Red Mr. Peanut Bank He's right again; when we lived in the U.S. we lived in the S.F. Bay Area, where it rarely snows! But I guess the other stuff did happen. But you're from Egypt originally; I doubt you had snowy winters there!
Miss Egyptian Hippo of Love I just miss seasons! All we have here is "rainy season" and "not-quite-as-rainy season" or verano. I miss the cold.



Mr. Chompy's Chewed-up Squeaky Kitty Toy Hey dere, fellas! An' a very good evenin' ta you, Miss Egyptian Hippo of Love!
Gallito Mescalito ¡Shriek!
Miss Egyptian Hippo of Love Hello, Mr. Squeaky Cat!
Red Mr. Peanut Bank Hello, Mr. Chompy's Chewed-up Squeaky Kitty Toy!
Mr. Chompy's Chewed-up Squeaky Kitty Toy 'sup wit eveybuddy?
Red Mr. Peanut Bank We're discussing the season and the holidays.
Mr. Chompy's Chewed-up Squeaky Kitty Toy Yeah! I luvs dis tima yeah! In fact, we gots a nudder nashunal holiday next Friday! Independence from Spain Day! ¡Viva Panamá! ¡Viva Libertad!
Gallito Mescalito ¡Shriek!
Miss Egyptian Hippo of Love Well, I'm thinking of a different holiday.



Mighty Moose of Vermont, Fuzzy Southern Mountain Moose, and ¡El Penguino! Hello everybody!
The others Hello, Mighty Moose of Vermont, Fuzzy Southern Mountain Moose, and ¡El Penguino!
Red Mr. Peanut Bank Fuzzy Southern Mountain Moose, you don't look very happy? What's wrong?
Fuzzy Southern Mountain Moose Wayul, Ahm jus' feelin' a bit homesick.
¡El Penguino! She's worried about Thanksgiving. I told her it's the only estadoünidense holiday Padre and the Lovely Mona still celebrate, but she's worried it won't happen.
Mighty Moose of Vermont Come on, ¡El Penguino! You were just as worried last year. We told her it would happen but she's still worried.
Fuzzy Southern Mountain Moose Wayul, Ah've nevah been away foh such impohtant holidaze befoh.
Mr. Chompy's Chewed-up Squeaky Kitty Toy Why is dis holiday so importint' ta you guys? 'Sup wid dis?



Diablito Sucio y Wooden Kuna Doll Si. ¿Es este fiesta más importante qué la Día de Independencia de España? ¿Por qué?
Mr. Chompy's Chewed-up Squeaky Kitty Toy Yeah, I'm wunderin' 'bout dis, too. Is dis anuver one of yer Gringo "weah betteah dan you" tings?
Gallito Mescalito ¡Shriek!
Los Juegetes de los estados unidos No! It's just different!!!
Red Mr. Peanut Bank No, no, no! It's not more important than Panamanian holidays; it's just different. It is an important holiday to the Lovely Mona and Padre and their extended family and the estadoünidense toys and knick-knacks because they like the idea of taking one specific day to thank God for their many blessings, and because it is an important part of the mythology of the U.S.A., not that Padre and the Lovely Mona buy the myth (although they both have family members who are participants in the story!).
Las Jugetes Panamañas What is the myth? Tell us, TELL US!!!



Red Mr. Peanut Bank Well, it all started with the Puritans Pilgrims and their search for a land in which they could oppress others find religious freedom. . .

TO BE CONTINUED NEXT FRIDAY

Friday Random Top Ten

Ya pushes "shuffle" and ya takes yer chances. . .

1. Heart Nick Lowe
2. Peace and Love Neil Young
3. Rejoice in the Lord Alway (Percell) Chanticleer
4. No Control David Bowie
5. Freezing Steel Cat Stevens
6. Ce que je teing/Certes mout/Bone compaignie/MANERE (Montpellier codex #328) Anonymous 4
7. Kings of the Wild Frontier Adam and the Ants
8. Psalmus V (Monteverde Vespro della Beata Vergine) Taverner Consort
9. Earth Died Screaming Tom Waits
10. Elvis and his Boss The Residents

Geez, what a terrible list! It just swings from one extreme to the other. I mean, I like everything on the list (this is all on my computer, after all), but I like them in context. When I'm listening to Monteverde, I want to listen to Monteverde; I can't think of any situation in which I would want to follow up Monteverde with Tom Waits. I can't think of any time in which I wanted to listen to Monteverde after Adam and the Ants, either. I will admit that I'm up for Elvis and his Boss anytime.

Once again, the Walking-to-Work list from my iTouch is much better:

1. Gidget Goes To Hell Suburban Lawns
2. Superstition Stevie Wonder
3. Ciega, Sordomuda Shakira
4. Let It Loose Rolling Stones
5. Gangsta's Life Fear Of A Black Hat
6. Lust For Life Iggy Pop
7. Substitute Sex Pistols

The Shakira song is Shakira when she was a rocker, before she started singing in Inglés and hangin' out with bad influences like Beyoncé. And Gangsta's Life is the best parody of Gansta Rap around. Maybe I'll walk slower next week and I'll get ten songs on the Walk-to-Work list instead.

Wadda yoo listenin' to? Tell me about it in the comments if you are so inclined.

Rest In Peace, James and George

Today our prayers and sympathy are with Kathy Jensen and the family and friends of her late husband the Very Rev. James M. Jensen, and also with Janis and the friends and family of her father, George Linn Bland, Jr. Funerals for both men take place today.

Most merciful God, whose wisdom is beyond our understanding: Deal graciously with Kathy and Janis and their families in their grief. Surround them with your love, that they may not be overwhelmed by their loss, but have confidence in your goodness, and strength to meet the days to come; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Rest eternal grant to James and George, O Lord;
And let light perpetual shine upon them.

May their souls, and the souls of all the departed,
through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.