Donna dressed for work in a hurry.

We happenned to notice four hours into her shift. She kept thanking me all morning for getting us here on time.

The Little Girl Thought I Was Santa Claus

Donna was at her desk in the library and I went to bring bring her back a coffee. A little girl was crawling underneath one of the tables and playing when she pointed toward me and waved. Well, I thought it was a merely friendly child just waving so I continued on to get coffee and may have quickly half-waved back while spinning through the congregating congregation. Her father, whom I know fairly well was laughing and said "You're Santa Claus". I was busy so politely fended it off apologizing for the snow white beard by saying that I've been sleeping less but would soon look like my old self. After bringing back the coffee, I got through part of an noncredit online college course on the Talmud in between services, which might not be what I'm interested in most and there were Holidays that include Sacred Ritual that I hadn't gotten to- but I needed something new after skipping taking courses during Covid-19 and it gave me the term "omnisignficance" in Rabbinic literature. The lectures were introductory and weren't from anyone that would be attending our service in this part of the country, but those can be made available sometime later and will cover the Torah. After her working in the library, we attended the church service and I got to say hello to our minister before he began the sermon. This is the third minister I've listened to but during that time there have been two, if not three, backup regular ministers, so Ican compare the present minister to others that may have included more personal ancedotes or more instant cross references of scripture to scripture- in general I might prefer his point of departure. Then there was Christmas music, a contemporary Christian "almost rock" band,arently guests from Boston College, the Voices of Imani Gospel Choir, that we had seen before in a different form with less brass instruments. I couldn't find the actual concert on You Tube, but as I mentioned they seemed to be quest musicians. After we got home, I realized that the little girl was waving because she really thought I was Santa Claus. I thought I might make an exception and add a song to the blog. Happy Holidays together as a fellowship and in your personal relationship to God, or covenant with God.

Where our church is in Boston

Right on Boston Common, on the other side of Beacon Hill. Historically, a number of colonial churches were destoyed long before the 20th century, but there are several important churches on Tremont Street and the street parallel to it. Donna is in the library at her desk, in between services. We gave a Bible to a student from Emerson College this morning and the library is just large enough,just barely, so that any college student in Boston is certainly welecome to visit for prayer. Humbly, not having been born and raised in the Congregational Church, I found a copy of the book The Holy Spirit and Power by John Wesley, with a prolougue by Charles Wesley. Wesley began preaching with George Whitefield in 1739, long after pirates like myself....

Can you spot Donna’s church in the mural and where is the church?

Donna's church was the tallest existing structure during the War of 1812, replacing Boston's Old North Church,which was the tallest existing structure during the American Revolutionary War. Can you find it in he mural. Where in Boston is the mural? Donna opened the library this morning, my having to turn on the lights. She had one or two patrons before the head librarian came down from attending the church service. In effect her ,Donna's seniority was come about. The short story I'm working on mentions her being alone in an empty library, as though it was where God would be, if you wanted to visit, the story itself confronting an earlier story written by John Updike, "The Music School".

Let There Be Love.

Poscript

Actually, being in the library, I was just observing one of the minister/professors conducting part of atour of the church, which you are welcome to try and might enjoy, but he had to explain that a service was inprogress to some young adults and that although we have many M.I.T./Harvard studemts attend and that, and I quote his disclaimer, "We are working for God", two which I add that there is an element or dimension of spirituality when entering the building if not a recoginition of the specific spirituality of others. (The Updikes I would not hesitate to invite as their father was Kierkegaardian and I passed a course on Soren Kierkegaard from the University of Copenhagen with an -A, as long as they note my 'joking' about Paul Revere and/or Anne Bradsreet).

We did have a discussion on "The nature of God" this week at the restaraunt and I'm very quick to begin: God is Omnipotent, Omniscient, Omnipresent and Benevolent and after that the conversation is limitless. Those four givens before we begin. Ministers seem more Christ orientated and Scriptural. This week I quickly added that there are four important things.

In the Old Tetsament: God is Israel and Man Enters a Covenant with God, one in which there is the promise of a Tommorow in exchange for Belief. Added to that, Moses is the greatest Prophet. In the New Testament: God is Love, a love created by his word being all, and Love Thy Neighbor. Those four or five things to explain the "Scriptural" nature of God. They are "tenets" and I am more than amenable to your adding more.
If you are in Boston and have already visited our church, here's a link to the Old North church, our Episcopal predecessor. The other really old church in Downtown Boston. If you have time to visit the webpage, you can probably make it to both in person.