Friday, December 31, 2010

Happy New Year!


This is our twelfth New Year in Panamá, and as has become our tradition, we will be at church when the New Year Arrives. The Afroantillano (West Indian) community believes strongly that one should let the New Year "catch you in Church" so we always have a bilingual Watchnight Service at Parroquia San Cristóbal. I try to plan things so that we say the post-communion prayer just as the fireworks erupt throughout the city, because no one will be able to hear anything after that! Then, once we have the church all closed-up, we'll head home and enjoy some snacks and drinks and watch a movie, and hope that Chompita will let us sleep in on New Year's Day, as no one in this neighborhood goes to sleep before 5:00 am on New Year's.

Happy New Year to all, and thank you for being a part of Padre Mickey's Dance Party.

A Cool Song

I used to hear this song on KFJC-FM alla time.

Friday Random Top Ten: Year End Edition


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

1. Love At First Sight XTC
2. Riot Act Elvis Costello & the Attractions
3. Nothing New The Social Club
4. Praying Hands DEVO
5. Cemetery Polka Tom Waits
6. Jilted John Jilted John
7. Funny How Love Is Queen
8. Danny Boy The Chieftains & James Galway
9. The Space In Between How To Destroy Angels
10. Fire In San Miquelito Los Goom Boys

Man, I was getting worried that we'd have NOTHING from this century or the last decade, which, of course, is the same thing. Thank God for Trent Renzor and Crew! The Social Club were part of the First Strike Musicians' Guild in San José, CA back in the 1980's. We (A Cruel Hoax) did a compilation album with them and the Kingpins and Frontier Wives San Jose Is Ground Zero: We're Number One! which resulted in a bit of a scene. I co-produced (with the band) the Social Club album Flogging Peasants from which this cut is taken. John is now with the Maids Of Honor, so it's cool to see them come up on the LAST LIST OF THE YEAR! But no video. We end the year/decade with a Panamanian Calypso thang, so, way cool, except for the fact that there is no YouTube video available.

Waddaya listenin' to on the last day of the year?

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

The Feast of the Holy Innocents


Today is the Feast of the Holy Innocents, the kind of feast to which the proper response is: "ewwwww!" According to the story in Matthew's gospel, Herod ordered all the boys under two years old in Bethlehem to be slaughtered because he wanted to prevent the arrival of the Messiah. There are no accounts of this event in non-biblical literature of the time, and one would expect that such a traumatic event would appear somewhere; Flavius Josephus doesn't mention it, and he spent some time on the abuses of Herod.
Whether Herod had children massacred or not, there are still many innocents being slaughtered here in our own time. Children die of starvation all over the planet, and innocent children die in the war zones our our world, especially in Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia, and Darfur. Innocent children die of abuse and neglect in developed nations and in developing nations. Innocent children die of neglect and abuse in the United States of America, too. Innocent children die every day on the streets of our cities. The leaders of these nations are even more guilty than Herod, because we have actual proof of these atrocities taking place in our time.
So today, let us pray and remember the innocents massacred in this day and time around the world, and let's remember who is responsible for these modern-day atrocities.
We remember today, O God, the slaughter of the holy innocents of Bethlehem by King Herod. Receive, we pray, into the arms of your mercy all innocent victims; and by your great might frustrate the designs of evil tyrants and establish your rule of justice, love, and peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit,, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Monday, December 27, 2010

Feast of St. John, Apostle and Evangelist

This is my sermon on St. John

John, son of Zebedee and Salome and younger brother of James, grew up along the shores of the sea of Galilee. Both John and James were followers of John the Baptizer, and John and Andrew were present when John the Baptizer saw Jesus and said, “Behold the Lamb of God!” John was probably one of the earliest disciples of Jesus. Jesus called John and James “Boanerges” which means “Sons of Thunder” and they, along with Peter, where in the Inner Circle of the disciples. These three were blessed with the experience of seeing Jesus transfigured and talking with Moses and Elijah. When the women returned to tell the disciples of the empty tomb, both Peter and John ran to check out their story and John reached the empty tomb first. It was John who recognized the Resurrected Jesus sitting on the beach when they were fishing. According to the gospel attributed to John, Jesus gave the care of his mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary, to John as they stood at the foot of the cross. It was either James and John or their mother who asked Jesus if they could sit at his right and left when he entered his kingdom. We have no idea if they sit on either side of Jesus, but we do know that they shared the same cup as Jesus, the cup of persecution. James died the death of a martyr, but although John died in Ephesus at a very advanced age, he did suffer persecution. Tertullian and Jerome claim that during the persecution of Domatian, John was dipped in a cauldron of boiling oil outside the Latin Gate of the city of Rome. He was unharmed and was exiled to the island of Patmos to work in the mines. It was there that he received the vision which he wrote down and is named the Apocalypse of John the Divine, or the Book of Revelation.

John was the most prolific writer of the Twelve who followed Jesus; only the Apostle Paul left us more writings. John has a gospel attributed to him, the vision of the Apocalypse is attributed to him, and three letters to the Church in Ephesus are attributed to him. According to bishop Eusebius of Cesarea, the fourth century historian, John wrote his gospel because the other three gospels did not deal with the deeds of Jesus at the beginning of his ministry. Eusebius said that John’s gospel was accepted by the Church from the earliest days, as well as the first epistle attributed to him, but that the other two epistles are not accepted by everyone. There was still disagreement as to whether the Apocalypse should be accepted as scripture in the fourth century; Eusebius writes: “In regard to the Apocalypse, the opinions of most men are still divided.” As I mentioned earlier, John moved to Ephesus upon his release from Patmos, and he became a very important part of the Church in Asia. St. Jerome writes that towards the end of John’s life in Ephesus, he was so weak that he could no longer preach or even stand. His young disciples would carry him into the church and, with great difficulty, the Apostle would say: "My dear children, love one another." Some of those in the congregation once asked him why he always said the same thing, why he repeated the same words, and the Apostle answered, "Because it is the precept of the Lord, and if you comply with it, you do enough " He finally died in peace in Ephesus, at about ninety-four years of age. As far as we know, John is the only one of the Apostles who died of old age rather than receiving the crown of martyrdom.

I want to finish by relating a story about the Apostle which Eusebius credits to Clement of Alexandria. This story gives us great insight into the nature of John: "Listen to a tale, which is not a mere tale, but a narrative concerning John the apostle, which has been handed down and treasured up in memory. For when, after the tyrant's death, he returned from the isle of Patmos to Ephesus, he went away upon their invitation to the neighboring territories of the Gentiles, to appoint bishops in some places, in other places to set in order whole churches, elsewhere to choose to the ministry some one of those that were pointed out by the Spirit. When he had come to one of the cities not far away, and had consoled the brethren in other matters, he finally turned to the bishop that had been appointed, and seeing a youth of powerful physique, of pleasing appearance, and of ardent temperament, he said, 'This one I commit to thee in all earnestness in the presence of the Church and with Christ as witness.' And when the bishop had accepted the Charge and had promised all, he repeated the same injunction with an appeal to the same witnesses, and then departed for Ephesus. But the presbyter, taking home the youth committed to him, reared, kept, cherished, and finally baptized him. After this he relaxed his stricter care and watchfulness, with the idea that in putting upon him the seal of the Lord he had given him a perfect protection. But some youths of his own age, idle and dissolute, and accustomed to evil practices, corrupted him when he was thus prematurely freed from restraint. At first they enticed him by costly entertainments; then, when they went forth at night for robbery, they took him with them, and finally they demanded that he should unite with them in some greater crime. He gradually became accustomed to such practices, and on account of the positiveness of his character, leaving the right path, and taking the bit in his teeth like a hard-mouthed and powerful horse, he rushed the more violently down into the depths. And finally despairing of salvation in God, he no longer meditated what was insignificant, but having committed some great crime, since he was now lost once for all, he expected to suffer a like fate with the rest. Taking them, therefore, and forming a band of robbers, he became a bold bandit-chief, the most violent, most bloody, most cruel of them all. Time passed, and some necessity having arisen, they sent for John. But he, when he had set in order the other matters on account of which he had come, said, 'Come, O bishop, restore us the deposit which both I and Christ committed to thee, the church, over which thou presidest, being witness. But the bishop was at first confounded, thinking that he was falsely charged in regard to money which he had not received, and he could neither believe the accusation respecting what he had not, nor could he disbelieve John. But when he said, 'I demand the young man and the soul of the brother,' the old man, groaning deeply and at the same time bursting into tears, said, 'He is dead.' 'How and what kind of death?' 'He is dead to God,' he said; 'for he turned wicked and abandoned, and at last a robber. And now, instead of the church, he haunts the mountain with a band like himself.' But the Apostle rent his clothes, and beating his head with great lamentation, he said, 'A fine guard I left for a brother's soul! But let a horse be brought me, and let some one show me the way.' He rode away from the church just as he was, and coming to the place, he was taken prisoner by the robbers' outpost. He, however, neither fled nor made entreaty, but cried out, 'For this did I come; lead me to your captain.' The latter, meanwhile, was waiting, armed as he was. But when he recognized John approaching, he turned in shame to flee. But John, forgetting his age, pursued him with all his might, crying out, 'Why, my son, dost thou flee from me, thine own father, unarmed, aged? Pity me, my son; fear not; thou hast still hope of life. I will give account to Christ for thee. If need be, I will willingly endure thy death as the Lord suffered death for us. For thee will I give up my life. Stand, believe; Christ hath sent me.' And he, when he heard, first stopped and looked down; then he threw away his arms, and then trembled and wept bitterly. And when the old man approached, he embraced him, making confession with lamentations as he! was able, baptizing himself a second time with tears, and concealing only his right hand, But John, pledging himself, and assuring him on oath that he would find forgiveness with the Saviour, besought him, fell upon his knees, kissed his right hand itself as if now purified by repentance, and led him back to the church. And making intercession for him with copious prayers, and struggling together with him in continual fastings, and subduing his mind by various utterances, he did not depart, as they say, until he had restored him to the church, furnishing a great example of true repentance and a great proof of regeneration, a trophy of a visible resurrection."

John is also called the Apostle of Charity, a virtue which is very much on our minds at this time of year. I will leave you with these words from John’s first epistle, which remind us why we remember him today:"Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the parent loves the child. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. For the love of God is this, that we obey his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome, for whatever is born of God conquers the world. And this is the victory that conquers the world, our faith. Who is it that conquers the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?"

Shed upon your Church, O Lord, the brightness of your light, that we, being illumined by the teaching of your apostle and evangelist John, may so walk in the light of your truth, that at length we may attain to the fullness of eternal life; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Sunday, December 26, 2010

Feast of St. Stephen, Deacon and Martyr


We give you thanks, O Lord of glory, for the example of the first martyr Stephen, who looked up to heaven and prayed for his persecutors to your Son Jesus Christ, who stands at
your right hand; where he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.




We don't have much information on St. Stephen, the Protomartyr. All the information we have comes from chapters 6 and 7 of the Acts of the Apostles, the second volume of the work attributed to St. Luke. One of the first disputes in the early Church involved the assistance programs for needy widows, and this dispute fell along the lines of language, as the Greek-speaking members of the community in Jerusalem complained that their widows were being ignored in favor of the widows of the Aramaic speakers. The apostles were fed-up with the dispute and realized that they couldn't go out and preach the Good News and take care of administrative and financial matters, so they told the community to select seven persons from the group, persons who were respected and of sound judgement and filled with the Holy Spirit. Seven men were selected, and among them was Stephen.

Stephen was quite a preacher. His sermons brought folks to repentance and to seek baptism, but his sermons could also really anger those in authority. One day he went too far and was stoned by a mob who had become enraged by his sermon. I guess they didn't like being called "stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, forever opposing the Holy Spirit." They dragged him outside of the city and stoned him, leaving their coats with one Saul, who approved of their killing him. Stephen didn't hold their anger against them, saying, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them" just as he died. I guess that's one reason not to call people names when preaching.

Saturday, December 25, 2010

Los Peces en el Río

This is my favorite Christmas song. It's about fishes in the river drinking water to see the birth of Jesus.


This is a cool version, too! The translation is wanting, but the arrangement is neato.

Friday, December 24, 2010

Merry Christmas, Everbuddy!

James Brown dancin' in Heaven, cuz that's where he went to be fiour Christmases ago. I still miss him.

Friday Red Mr. Peanut Bank and Gallito Mescalito Blogging: Super Holiday Special! Part III

Red Mr. Peanut Bank Well, Bunrab, tonight's the night! Are you ready?
Bunrab, the Filthiest Toy in the House As ready as I can be. The rehearsals went much better than expected, and they've decided not to use wires on the angels, gracias a Dios! Are you ready to be the Narrator?
Red Mr. Peanut Bank Of course! I love being Narrator.

Mr. Chompy's Chewed-up Squeaky Kitty Toy Well, the sleeves are okay, but I'm having trouble holdin' dis stick ting.
¡El Toro! ¿Parecer una oveja? ¿Esta traje engañar a nadie?
Red Mr. Peanut Bank Hello Santa, hello Mr. Chompy's Chewed-up Kitty Toy, hola ¡El Toro! Are you about ready?
Santa Yes, it's show time! All the costumes are fabulous and our cast are ALL STARS!!!
Red Mr. Peanut Bank Well, good, because these two are on first.

Santa No problem!! Kitty, you are a beautiful shepherd, and all the sheep will follow you anywhere!
Mr. Chompy's Chewed-up Squeaky Kitty Toy Tanks, Santa! Yer not too bad yerself! I gotta get to da stage.
Santa And you! YOU! You are the wooliest little lamb I've ever seen! Yes you are! Yes you are!!
¡El Toro! ¡POR faVOR!

Red Mr. Peanut Bank Welcome to Padre Mickey's Dance Party's Christmas Pageant! We hope that you enjoy all the hard work our cast has put into this production.
Bunrab, the Filthiest Toy in the House, whispering Psst! Don't forget las celulares!
Red Mr. Peanut Bank Oh, yes! Please turn off your cell phones and pagers, or put them on vibrate. Also, this pageant is for entertainment purposes only. Please, no wagering! And now, our pageant.

Red Mr. Peanut Bank, off camera In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flocks by night.
Mr. Chompy's Chewed-up Squeaky Kitty Toy, whispering No you stand dere, and you, you go ovah dere. An you, jest stan' still!
Ahem, Oh, what a beautiful, quiet nite. I suppose dat nuttin' 'citin' will happen tuhnite.
¡El Toro! Baa. Baa.
Squeaky Gorilla Baa skeek Baa

Red Mr. Peanut Bank, off camera Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.
Mr. Chompy's Chewed-up Squeaky Kitty Toy Wut da ...
¡El Toro! BAA!! BAA!!
Squeaky Gorilla BAA! skeek BAA!!
Guatemalan Apocalyptic Angel Yikes! What is that in the sky?

Red Mr. Peanut Bank, off camera But the angel said to them
Wooden Kuna Doll Do not be afraid; for see----I am bringin' you good news of great joy for all de peoples: to you is born this day in the city of David (pero not in Chriqui, el otro ciudad David) a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord.

Wooden Kuna Doll This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.
Telly Tubbies Ina manger! Ina manger! Da Messiah! Da Messiah!

Red Mr. Peanut Bank, off camera And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying
The Heavenly Host Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!

Mr. Chompy's Chewed-up Squeaky Kitty Toy Whoa!!
¡El Toro! BAA!! BAA!!
Squeaky Gorilla BAA! skeek BAA!!
Guatemalan Apocalyptic Angel Wow! They're really good!

Red Mr. Peanut Bank, off camera When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another
Mr. Chompy's Chewed-up Squeaky Kitty Toy Hey! Let us go now tuh Betlehem and see dis ting what takes place, which da Lowd maked known tuh us!
Guatemalan Apocalyptic Angel Sounds good to me! Plus, it's cold out here.
¡El Toro! Baa. Baa.
Squeaky Gorilla Baa skeek Baa
Guatemalan Apocalyptic Angel What is that noise?
Mr. Chompy's Chewed-up Squeaky Kitty Toy Don' ask!

Red Mr. Peanut Bank, off camera So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger.
Gallito Mescalito Shrie Miss Egyptian Hippo of Love SHUSH! Not now!

Red Mr. Peanut Bank, off camera When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child
Mr. Chompy's Chewed-up Squeaky Kitty Toy No! Really! Dere wuz angels an' everting!
¡El Toro! Baa. Baa.
Squeaky Gorilla Baa skeek Baa
Guatemalan Apocalyptic Angel No, it's true! I saw it with my own eyes, and let me tell you, I know all about angels!

Red Mr. Peanut Bank, off camera And all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them.
Farm animals Yeah, that's some story! Angels, ya say?
The Mighty Moose of Vermont Mooooose. Mooooooose. I am a cow! Mooooose.

Red Mr. Peanut Bank, off camera But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

El Penguino Is this thing over yet? 'Cuz I'm sweatin ta def in this bankie!!!

Red Mr. Peanut Bank Please give our cast a round of applause!

Red Mr. Peanut Bank That ends our program for the evening. There is chicha, sorril, and empanadas in the lobby. Merry Christmas, and Good night!
Miss Egyptian Hippo of Love Okay, now!
Gallito Mescalito ¡¡¡SSSSHHHHHRRRRRIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEKKKKK!!!

Yesterday at Parroquia San Cristóbal

Yesterday we distributed the Love Baskets. Some folks participated in the carol-sing and treats. People came and collected their baskets and other members of the parish came and picked-up baskets to distribute. It takes quite a few people to help distribute 100 baskets but we did it!

¡Mucho pollo!




Some of the teachers from Instituto Episcopal San Cristóbal came and put-up the nacimiento in the Chapel. It doesn't take up most of the Chapel this time, but it is still very nice.








We're not going to have a Christmas Eve service this year as it is difficult for people who depend upon public transport to get home in the evening of Christmas Eve as all the buses and taxis stop running. Our alternative would be to hold the service at 3:00 pm or so but most people are still running about finishing up their Christmas preparations. We will have a Christmas morning service tomorrow at 9:00 am, and the Lovely Mona and I will be back to the church around 2:00 pm to help distribute Christmas gifts to the children of the neighborhood with our friend Elder Marcellino Marshall of the Berean Seventh Day Adventist Church. We'll post photos of that!

Friday Random Top Ten Christmas Eve Edition


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

1. The Shepherd's Star Theatre of Voices
2. The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting) JAMES BROWN!
3. Christmas In L.A. The Bobs
4. A Virgin Unspotted Theatre of Voices
5. A Brenton Carol The Chieftains
6. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen The Platters
7. The Apple Tree Theatre of Voices
8. Merry Christmas, I Love You JAMES BROWN!
9. Mambo, Santa, Mambo The Bobs
10. Kung Fu Christmas Christopher Guest and Gilda Radner

Geez, the shuffle thinks I only three Christmas albums on the iTunes. Well, it did seem to show a preference for the Theatre of Voices, and it IS a great collection of Christmas stuff, but YouTube has a different idea. The number by the Platters has some way cool saxophone on it. But no one has a video or link for the version of The Apple Tree, which is a shame as it is great.

Watchoo listenin' to this Krimble?

UPDTAE! Here ya go, Matty Boy! Feliz Navidad n' stuff!

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Lucky Thirteen!

Well, it's that time of year and we're doing all the usual San Cristóbal Christmasy stuff. Yesterday we packed our Love Baskets, packages of food which we distribute to the poor. Each package contains everything necessary for a Christmas dinner for a family. This year the bags contain: Canned vegetables; fruit juice; cooking oil; crema de maiz; elbow macaroni; lentils; 2 lbs of rice; mayo; flour; sugar; milk; eggs; one chicken; a christmas cake. Tomorrow we'll sing carols and distribute the packages. Here are some photos of the volunteers packing the bags.

Some of the stuff going into the packages



Volunteers





We packed 100 bags by the time we were finished.


It's also time to put up the Nacimiento. The past few years the nacimiento has taken over most of the space in la Capilla del Buen Pastor (Chapel of the Good Shepherd). They were incredible but it takes a lot of work to assemble and even more work to take the whole thing down, so we decided to be less extravagant this year. Here are some photos of the preparations. Tomorrow I'll post photos of the finished product.



Today is the thirteenth anniversary of my priesting. Thirteen years ago this evening members of St. Francis' Episcopal Church and St. Philip's Episcopal Church, both of San José, and the people of St. Mark's Episcopal Church, Berkeley, California, came together at St. Mark's as the Rt. Rev. Richard Shimpfky, Bishop of the diocese of El Camino Real and many of my colleagues laid hands on me and I was ordained as a priest in Christ's holy catholic Church. It was a wonderful night. Many of my professors and classmates from C.D.S.P. participated, and the Rev. Dr. John Kater, Jr., preached. So today I spent the day doing priesty thangs. I preached and presided at our Healing Mass this morning at 7:30, and then assisted the Rt. Rev. Julio E. Murray, Bishop of Panamá as Profesora Constance Hayes, wife of the late Bishop Hayes (the Bishop who brought the Lovely Mona and I to Panamá) was laid to rest. Then I spent the afternoon finishing up stuff for Christmas Day and the first Sunday of Christmas and starting to plan a funeral for Tuesday next. I also practiced the Xmas carols for tomorrow. And tonight I'm having Chinese food, just like Jesus did.

I See You!

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