week 10, post 4

Ritagail's questions deserve response:
I don't know how the beach was right after the hurricanes. I'll ask some locals. Right now the beach has lots of "small litter," but it is clear that it is raked/groomed regularly by a tractor. So it is now a very pleasant place to be. Most of the litter is farther inland -- human stuff (house materials, etc) and organic litter -- millions and millions of cubic yards of marsh grasses, plus tree limbs. The hurricanes did about 15 years of costal erosion -- each -- in a couple of days, as the marshes were denuded of the protective and nurturing grasses. There is nothing out in the gulf for the winds and flood waters to pick up -- that is all farther inland.

The magnificent fish is a redfish -- a real fighter. They are also wonderful table fare, fried or blackened, though most would prefer smaller ones to cook -- from 15 to 25 inches or so. This big one is old and most likely tough -- as would be an old cow or bull or an old laying hen....

week 10, post 3

last night as I traveled back down the bayou to home, I found myself longing for peace and solitude. So I went all the way down the road to the marina at the end. It is very quiet there in the evenings and all the stars are on display. My only companions are the statue of Christ at the "harbor" entrance and the pelicans roosting on the pilings. My longing transitioned into a deep feeling of sadness. As I explored the sadness it seemed to be not my own material, but something much bigger -- the sadness of the place spirits (ancestors), the sadness of the people here, or the sadness of the marsh itself, our mother earth, in its dying. This morning I rose early and sowed grass seed -- a little gesture of caring, restoring the earth of our place from all the mud and devastation. I cried several times as I contemplated how our earth is injured, and the marsh is dying. I do not usually experience gardening as a spiritual exercise, though I know that many people do. But I did this morning. So many of the people here have lost all hope. They will stay as long as they are able, but they have no expectation that they will turn this land over to future generations; they are turning it over to the sea.

Picture time: as I get the hang of it, I'll learn to post the right pictures to fit the text of that day -- when I get the hang of it. In the meantime, here is a picture of the hindu wedding ceremony I was privileged to attend in NO. I am also posting one of my pictures of a marsh sunset -- beautiful.

Peace, Warren.

week 10, post 2

Everyone who knows me at all well knows I am an active critic of organized religion. I think I deserve the right to be critical because I'm close to it, I know I happen to be part of the problem(s), and I am also a beneficiary of that which I criticize -- it is a lover's quarrel I have... But honesty also demands praise where merited. One of the groups who are truly coming through for the hurricane victims in this area are the Mennonites. Small but mighty, these humble and hard working people are really doing the job of cleaning up the mess (it is simply staggering how much debris is generated by a hurricane), then rebuilding homes and also building new ones. Their commitment is to stay up to five years, if that's what it takes to put things right! Their expenditure of time and money hugely outweighs that of many other denominations, not to count the per-capita commitment. Thank God for the Mennonites. Praise God for all people of good will whose commitment goes beyond words...

Photo time: In spite of hurricanes, Grand Isle still produces lots of good fishing. This man caught this redfish surf fishing there.

By the way, remember that if you want more size/detail in one of my posted photos, all you have to do is click on the picture....

Peace, Warren.

week 10, post 1

It has been especially gratifying the way I have been welcomed by the clergy of the area. Last Saturday and Sunday I was a guest at Our Lady of the Island Catholic Church, First Methodist and First Baptist churches. I delivered the sermon at First Methodist. All three congregations are cooperating effectively to make me useful to their own parishoners and to all the residents of the island. I have included a photo of Rev Regina Hickman, the pastor of First Methodist, and myself.

This evening I met briefly with Rev. Keith Naquin, pastor of a small but very much alive pentecostal congregation down Point aux Chenes. We are committed to building that sort of interfaith cooperation in that area also, and will soon launch a men's bible study and prayer group.

On a playful note, I have also posted a picture of my new yard sign: "Welcome to my Okie Houma." My thanks to a talented member of Grace Lutheran for his help with the sign.

Peace, Warren.

week 9, post 2

One of my all time favorite artists is the remarkable Brian Andreas. His mix of spiritual profundity and playful whimsy in his STORYPEOPLE series touches my heart deeply and makes it sing. He recently did a poster inspired by the Katrina disaster and our collective responses to it. I will share that poster with you at some time in the future. For today I want to share with you one of his daily STORY OF THE DAY postings I receive by subrsciption. It also speaks of how we respond to tragedies of any sort:

In those days,
we finally chose
to walk like giants
& hold the world
in arms grown strong with love
& there may be many things we forget
in the days to come,
but this will not be one of them.

Today may your arms grow strong with love, and may we all remember...
Peace, Warren

week 9, post 1

It's getting harder and harder to find time to come to Houma, get online, and post blogs. I don't like that. But I think it's a good sign. I'm getting busier and busier "down da bayou." I needed to move my trailer (about 30') and I've gotten that done. I've met several new families. There are several days now that I have not come to town at all. Through my new relationships here, I was privileged to attend a bi-cultural, bi-religious wedding in NO this weekend. The groom is from India, and the bride from Chauvin (down the bayou). So there was a Hindu ceremony (shortened considerably -- to 2 hours) followed by a Christian ceremony. It's a big and wonderful world we live in! Both families were very gracious to welcome this stranger. NO is just a shell of its former self, and it's still a very big and active city!

The pastor is resigning/retiring at the little baptist church down Point Aux Chenes, so I offered myself to help with preaching or whatever. I'm glad I can help. I'm very humbled with the cultural issues involved, but I'm hopeful I can learn. I will also preach at the methodist church at Grand Isle this Sunday.

I still have to be very realistic and modest with my goals. Any successes must be measured in small doses. I covet your continued prayers and support.

Peace, Warren.

week 7 post 1

The picture of the barge in my previous post bears graphic testimony to the truly awesome power of hurricane Katrina. Even though Grand Isle was many miles from a direct hit by the hurricane, the wind and water picked up this giant barge of many tons, on which was built an 8+ unit condominium apartment, and put most of it on the shore!! When the ancient Hebrews described the power of God "as a mighty wind," this must be the kind of experience to which they referred. I was/am simply awestruck.

Another form of awe is offered to you in a picture included with this blog: While at Grand Isle I went down to the docks to see the big shrimp boats unload. This "shrimp thing" and these boats are endlessly fascinating to this midwesterner. While there I caught my first glimpse ever (water parks don't count) of porpoises at play. Even though the display is very small in the picture, I watched this pair swimming easily and gracefully behind the boats. I caught one of the fins on my little camera, and wanted to share it with you. Yes, this is awesome to me, too, to see these beautiful creatures.

How was life ever possible without ziplock bags? I soaked myself and all the contents of my wallet yesterday in my maiden voyage in the kayak I'd bought. So today my wallet is a ziplock bag. These little things have so many uses.... Surely there is a spiritual metaphor here somewhere....

Peace, Warren.