Greetings to all!
Summer is a time for extra reading. One of my favorite pieces of literature is Flannery
O'Connor's short story, "Revelation," in which the main character, Ruby Turpin,
is jolted into a new view of herself relative to other "categories" of people in her life.
In the closing scene, while washing down the pigpen, Ruby has a vision.
Until the sun slipped finally behind the tree line, Mrs. Turpin remained there with her
gaze bent to them as if she were absorbing some abysmal life-giving knowledge. At
last she lifted her head. There was only a purple streak in the sky, cutting through a
field of crimson and leading, like an extension of the highway, into the descending
dusk. She raised her hands from the side of the pen in a gesture hieratic and
profound. A visionary light settled in her eyes. She saw the streak as a vast swinging
bridge extending upward from the earth through a field of living fire. Upon it a vast
horde of souls were rumbling toward heaven. There were whole companies of white-
trash, clean for the first time in their lives, and bands of blacks in white robes, and
battalions of freaks and lunatics shouting and clapping and leaping like frogs. And
bringing up the end of the procession was a tribe of people whom she recognized at
once as those who, like herself and Claude, had always had a little of everything and
the God-given wit to use it right. She leaned forward to observe them closer. They
were marching behind the others with great dignity, accountable as they had always
been for good order and common sense and respectable behavior. They alone were
on key. Yet she could see by their shocked and altered faces that even their virtues
were being burned away. She lowered her hands and gripped the rail of the hog
pen, her eyes small but fixed unblinkingly on what lay ahead. In a moment the vision
faded but she remained where she was, immobile.
At length she got down and turned off the faucet and made her slow way on the
darkening path to the house. In the woods around her the invisible cricket choruses
had struck up, but what she heard were the voices of the souls climbing upward into
the starry field and shouting hallelujah.
(as found in Listening for God)
The Scripture lessons for Sunday, July 10:
Genesis 25:19-34
Romans 8:1-11
Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23
Sunday Conversations continue this Sunday, July 10, 10am, in Trinity Hall. Sunday
conversations cover a wide range of topics from week to week. Come enjoy a cup of
coffee, join the conversation, or just listen in.
The Big Blue Barrel has been placed in Trinity Hall to receive your contributions of
non-perishable food items. When
the barrel is full, the folks from God's Pantry will
distribute the contents throughout central and eastern
Kentucky. You
might want to
bring an item from your pantry each Sunday, or bring a bag full all at once!
Don't forget
to let the children participate by bringing an item (s) during the summer.
Summer Sunday School - With folks traveling during the summer, our Sunday School
is a
little less formal than during
the school year. Nonetheless, Lauren can often use an
extra
set of hands to help on those Sundays when we have a
large number of children
present.
You can help by being "on call" for a Sunday, by which you make yourself
available
to help if needed. Check the sign up sheet in Trinity Hall for a Sunday or two
on which you
might be "on call" for our
children.
The Vestry will meet this Sunday, July 10, 9:30am, in the upstairs office of Trinity Hall.
Peace to all.
Mike Ward
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