I know that I haven't been posting much lately, but that's because I've been too busy. Yes, things here have been happening at an extreme pace, which leaves little time for blog posts. However, it looks like I have a little downtime, and am going to start catching up. There is too much (or I'm too lazy) to tell you all in order, so I'm going to break it up into stories for you. Much better that way, if you ask me. (Well, you didn't, I know, but this is my blog, so back off).
The traffic here in Sri Lanka is, to a Canadian eye, out of control. Actually, when you spend some time here, you can see that it operates according to its own rules. Of course, those rules include the right of weight on the road, people cheerfully passing whenever they think they can wedge the car through a gap, and lots of ducking and weaving. I've gotten to the point where I am comfortable as a passenger in car. Now, the fact that I'm comfortable in a car is an important one. For it is more than just cars, vans and other four wheeled vehicles on the roads here. There are three wheelers, which are little three wheeled taxis that zip and dart all over the place. Then there are the motorcycles. These are everywhere, from small scooters, to enormous bikes, and everything in between. People ride on them in pairs, in trio, occasionally, whole families, with Dad driving, Mom hanging on behind, and the kids stuck in and around them, wherever there is a bit of space and room to hang on. The motorcycle drivers weave in and out of traffic, going up between the lanes, driving on the shoulders, anything to get a couple of car lengths ahead.
Many is the time that I have looked on the motorcycles on the road, and given thanks that I was not on one. The traffic may be bad, I would tell myself, but at least you have a solid vehicle around you (and occasionally a seatbelt) to absorb any impact.
I was spending a couple days in Nuwara Eliya last week. This misty hill station is called "Little England" for it's cool wet climate. English vegetables can be grown there, but the main crop is tea. Tea covers the rolling hills that surround the town, tea as far as the eye can see (which isn't far because of the mist). I was staying with Fr. Lalith, the rector of Holy Trinity parish.
One morning he told me that a parishioner, John, was going to take me to a tea factory. "OK" I said happily "that sounds great. I can't wait!" John arrived as we were having breakfast, and as soon as we finished, we prepared to go. I walked out the front door, looking left and right to see where John had parked his car. "Oh, right" said Fr. Lalith "You'll need these", and he handed me a helmet and jacket. "The bike is just over there".
This was unexpected, but what could I do? Surely I could survive a few minutes on a bike. I tried to put the helmet on. Then I tried again. I realized that there was a little problem... well, a big problem. You see, I was blessed at birth with a plus sized cranium. This has its advantages in life, such as when brain sizes are being measured, or prizes given out for largest head circumference (hasn't happened yet, but I'm waiting). It also has its disadvantages, such as when I am trying to wear any kind of head gear. Hats must be picked out with care. Hard hats, when I was in the habit of wearing them, would be cranked to the largest size. Helmet must be properly sized, for there is not much stretch in a helmet.
It was clear that Fr. Lalith had been expecting a man with a pint sized noggin. This helmet was at least a size, maybe two sizes too small. I managed to get it on the back of my head, did up the strap under my chin, and hoped it would not be needed.
I got on the bike. Now, I had been observing the motorcyclists in Sri Lanka, and noticed that it is not the done thing to hold on to the driver. The cool rider holds on behind, or not at all. Well, the latter was not an option for me- I was going to be holding on to something! So I reached behind me, found a little grip, and held on for dear life.
Actually, the first couple rides went well. The roads were bumpy, but I managed to stay on the bike. After a couple of stops (to a Youth for Christ office and a waterfall), we got on the bike again to go to the tea factory.
I was determined this time to put the helmet on properly, and I jammed and I crammed until the bulk of my head was encased in plastic. Sure it was a bit tight, but we wouldn't be going far, or so I assumed.
Half an hour later I made John stop the bike. We had been riding out into the hills, into the gathering mist with no signs of stopping. My head felt like it was about to implode. With some difficulty, I levered the helmet off, and returned it to its old loose position.
Upon leaving the tea factory, it started to rain. When it rains in Nuwara Eliya, it comes down in torrents, as if the sky was anxious to be rid of her burden of water, and was pouring it all out at once. It rained so much that the bike, not a very powerful specimen, couldn't make it up the hills. One of us was left to walk up the hills, and it wasn't the driver. After lunch at his house, John announced that we would leave the bike and take the bus. I was grateful for an end to my motorcycle adventures.
Flashforward a week or so. It was Sunday morning, and I had just finished breakfast. I was then in a town called Moratorwa, visiting Holy Emanuel Parish. I was supposed to meet Fr. Nilanga after the 6:00 am service to go to one of the other points of the parish, but he had not appeared, so I went home for breakfast. Just as I finished, the door rang, and Oceln, my host went to answer it. It turned out to be a young man waiting to take me to the service.
I ran out the door, excited to see another church. I stopped dead when I saw his mode of conveyance... another motorcycle. This wasn't the tame dirtbike size of John in Nuwara Eliya, either. This was a full sized beast! The driver gestured for me to get on. He didn't provide a helmet. To be fair, he didn't have one for himself either.
We roared off, over the narrow bumpy streets. To give the driver credit, he managed to avoid most of the pot holes. It wasn't his fault that the road was mostly one big pot hole, due to the recent torrential rains.
Upon arriving at the church fifteen minutes later, I carefully felt my head all over. It appeared to be whole. I swore that was my last time on a motorcycle
Until the next day. Fr. Pradeep, a curate at Holy Emanuel, had offered to take me to the School for the Blind and the School for the Deaf. The only catch was that we would have to take the bike. I didn't want to ride, but did want to see the schools. By some miracle of sizing, the helmet he handed me actually fit. I thought that this ride would be different, that this time it would be safe, and maybe even fun...
Until he wheeled out the bike. The thing was twenty years old, and tiny. It was made to fit two very svelt people, and there was just barely enough room on the saddle for the father and I. Still, just barely is still enough, and we got on. I asked Fr. Pradeep where to hold on. "There is nowhere!" He shouted cheerfully "You'll have to hold on to me by my cincture!"* I found my own hold on the underneath of the seat.
We were off, cutting and weaving through the heavy city traffic, breathing in the exhaust fumes, jumping off the stop lights, and going very, very fast.
After an interesting time at the schools, we got back on the bike. This time it was beginning to rain. As we took off down the street, getting soaked within the first couple minutes, I could hear over the rain and the traffic Fr. Pradeep shouting back to me "There's a Sri Lankan theologian who says that you have to be baptized in the theology of the island! I guess this is your baptism!"
He was loving it. Loving being out on his bike in the rain and the traffic, loving the speed and the passenger. As I listened to him laugh at his own joke, I realized that I was loving it too. Somewhere along the line I had stopped expecting to die with every turn, and had begun to enjoy the ride.
I'm still not ready to try driving here though.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Monday, May 17, 2010
Just a Short Note
Well, it's late here, and I had a long day, but I'm really behind on the blog. There has been lots going on!
So, at the time of the last post I was in Bandarawela in the company of Archdeacon Dhilo. I had a great time there. He loves guests, and said that if he was not a priest, he would work in a hotel! He was amazing about taking me around to sights, showing off his town and his church (which are well worth showing off!). Bandarawela is in the hills of Sri Lanka, so it is much, much cooler, much closer to Canada. I think that helped me enjoy myself!
The church is The Church of the Ascension, and they have lots of interesting things going on. Two of the main things are a day school for kids, and a home for the destitute. The day school was very cute - the kids were gluing tamarind seeds on a paper in the shape of a centipede - just like I used to do with beans in pre-school in Canada! The center has been running for 20 years, and is for children of poor homes. They feed the kids breakfast and lunch everyday, and there is no charge. The kids were cute -as a soon as they saw Fr. Dhilo they all chorused "Father!" They were clearly very glad to see him!
The home for the destitute was not cute, but was moving. They have room for 12 people, 6 men, 6 women. The home is free, and they feed them, house them, etc. When they built the place, they could only afford one storey, but Fr. Dhilo insisted that they build stairs for a second storey that he was sure they would one day be able to afford. They are still working on raising money for the second story, and the stairs remain as a symbol of Fr. Dhilo's faith in the community and the home.
So, at the time of the last post I was in Bandarawela in the company of Archdeacon Dhilo. I had a great time there. He loves guests, and said that if he was not a priest, he would work in a hotel! He was amazing about taking me around to sights, showing off his town and his church (which are well worth showing off!). Bandarawela is in the hills of Sri Lanka, so it is much, much cooler, much closer to Canada. I think that helped me enjoy myself!
The church is The Church of the Ascension, and they have lots of interesting things going on. Two of the main things are a day school for kids, and a home for the destitute. The day school was very cute - the kids were gluing tamarind seeds on a paper in the shape of a centipede - just like I used to do with beans in pre-school in Canada! The center has been running for 20 years, and is for children of poor homes. They feed the kids breakfast and lunch everyday, and there is no charge. The kids were cute -as a soon as they saw Fr. Dhilo they all chorused "Father!" They were clearly very glad to see him!
The home for the destitute was not cute, but was moving. They have room for 12 people, 6 men, 6 women. The home is free, and they feed them, house them, etc. When they built the place, they could only afford one storey, but Fr. Dhilo insisted that they build stairs for a second storey that he was sure they would one day be able to afford. They are still working on raising money for the second story, and the stairs remain as a symbol of Fr. Dhilo's faith in the community and the home.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Some Pictures
I'm sorry about the huge opening picture. For some reason, I can't figure out how to shrink it, and don't have the time to fool with it. For now, sit back and be impressed with the beauty of this country. This is the hill country, or up country as it is known here. This is a spot on the road to Bandarawella, which I reached today in the company of Archdeacon Dhilo, who is a wonderful and hospitable man!
This is a photo of St. James, Chilaw. As you can see, it's a church in a coconut grove!
This is Fr. Sam at Puttlam, blessing a new parish building. After the blessing (which was after the service) we all sat around the coconut tree just outside and had a delicious (and spicy, but that goes without saying here) dinner, as the light quickly faded.
This is a photo of St. James, Chilaw. As you can see, it's a church in a coconut grove!
This is Fr. Sam at Puttlam, blessing a new parish building. After the blessing (which was after the service) we all sat around the coconut tree just outside and had a delicious (and spicy, but that goes without saying here) dinner, as the light quickly faded.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Colombo Again
I wasn't going to post today, but I'm in the St. Michael's office, and Fr. Dushantha is being interviewed for a newspaper right behind me. I don't really want to barge past to get out, and so I'll tell you about my last couple days in Chilaw.
I really enjoyed my time there. Fr. Sam was really friendly and very good about answering questions - and I had a lot of questions! A lot of what we were doing was going around to the cluster group prayer meetings that happen once a month. At. St. James they have divided the congregation up into clusters based on regions, so people who live near each other will be in the same cluster. Once a month they gather for a prayer meeting with Fr. Sam - they sing some praise songs (including several I knew from Sunday School, including "This is the Day that the Lord Has Made" and "He Will Enter His Gates With Thanksgiving". The services were all in Sinhala or Tamil, but where there were English speakers, they would sing one verse in English (I joined in with gusto!).
These meetings were all in people's homes, so I got an interesting look at how the ordinary people live in a rural village like Chilaw. As you might expect, there was great diversity, from some houses that were clearly very big and well appointed, through to some very very small dwellings. Everyone was super hospitable though, and happily for me, made a point of making sure I had a fan blowing on me!
Fr. Sam thought it would be good if I wore my cassock when I was going around with him, and people got quite the kick out of the fact that it was black. The priests here all wear white cassocks with black cinctures, so to see an all black cassock was quite shocking for people!
Last night we went to a parishioner's house for supper, and boy was that an inter-cultural experience! It was the house of one of the youth leaders in the parish, and his extended family. There was a young boy there who I made friends with - he brought me all his toys, one by one, and patiently showed this dumb foreigner how each of them worked! He chatted away to me in Tamil like I knew what he was saying, and I just talked back to him in English. A kid that age, I doubt I would have understood what he was talking about anyway!
Before long it was time for supper - rice and curry. There was a chicken curry, a pork curry and potatoes. Fr. Sam explained to me later that for these people chicken is a rare thing, and that they have gone all out for us. There were a couple things that were quite uncomfortable for me. The first was that I used cutlery. Now, I know that I've been practicing using my hands, but they had the cutlery out, and I was not sure if it was rude to not use it. Fr. Sam explained later that to not use it would have been fine, and that they were uncomfortable seeing someone use cutlery! Also, it made the meat, which was as usual still on the bone, hard to eat. The second thing was that they sat us down at the table and watched us eat! That is definitely something that I am not used to! When I finished, they kept giving me more, and more and more, until my natural acquiescence was overcome, and I had to say no. It was delicious, but quite hot, to the point where my nose was running!
So it was an interesting, experience, the kind that is difficult to go through, but so valuable when you're done. I seem to be getting a lot of lessons like that... I think it's time for a nice easy lesson for a change!
Today was back down to Colombo on the bus with Fr. Sam. It was quite crowded, and so I had to have my big fifteen kilo bag on my lap the whole time. It was blocking the air conditioning, and so I was dying of heat, my legs and arms were cramping up around the bag... pretty miserable! I was actually grateful for the security checkpoint where all the Sri Lankan nationals got off the bus and I could move a little. The enormous guard suspiciously checking my passport and bags was, by comparison, a tiny inconvenience!
I really enjoyed my time there. Fr. Sam was really friendly and very good about answering questions - and I had a lot of questions! A lot of what we were doing was going around to the cluster group prayer meetings that happen once a month. At. St. James they have divided the congregation up into clusters based on regions, so people who live near each other will be in the same cluster. Once a month they gather for a prayer meeting with Fr. Sam - they sing some praise songs (including several I knew from Sunday School, including "This is the Day that the Lord Has Made" and "He Will Enter His Gates With Thanksgiving". The services were all in Sinhala or Tamil, but where there were English speakers, they would sing one verse in English (I joined in with gusto!).
These meetings were all in people's homes, so I got an interesting look at how the ordinary people live in a rural village like Chilaw. As you might expect, there was great diversity, from some houses that were clearly very big and well appointed, through to some very very small dwellings. Everyone was super hospitable though, and happily for me, made a point of making sure I had a fan blowing on me!
Fr. Sam thought it would be good if I wore my cassock when I was going around with him, and people got quite the kick out of the fact that it was black. The priests here all wear white cassocks with black cinctures, so to see an all black cassock was quite shocking for people!
Last night we went to a parishioner's house for supper, and boy was that an inter-cultural experience! It was the house of one of the youth leaders in the parish, and his extended family. There was a young boy there who I made friends with - he brought me all his toys, one by one, and patiently showed this dumb foreigner how each of them worked! He chatted away to me in Tamil like I knew what he was saying, and I just talked back to him in English. A kid that age, I doubt I would have understood what he was talking about anyway!
Before long it was time for supper - rice and curry. There was a chicken curry, a pork curry and potatoes. Fr. Sam explained to me later that for these people chicken is a rare thing, and that they have gone all out for us. There were a couple things that were quite uncomfortable for me. The first was that I used cutlery. Now, I know that I've been practicing using my hands, but they had the cutlery out, and I was not sure if it was rude to not use it. Fr. Sam explained later that to not use it would have been fine, and that they were uncomfortable seeing someone use cutlery! Also, it made the meat, which was as usual still on the bone, hard to eat. The second thing was that they sat us down at the table and watched us eat! That is definitely something that I am not used to! When I finished, they kept giving me more, and more and more, until my natural acquiescence was overcome, and I had to say no. It was delicious, but quite hot, to the point where my nose was running!
So it was an interesting, experience, the kind that is difficult to go through, but so valuable when you're done. I seem to be getting a lot of lessons like that... I think it's time for a nice easy lesson for a change!
Today was back down to Colombo on the bus with Fr. Sam. It was quite crowded, and so I had to have my big fifteen kilo bag on my lap the whole time. It was blocking the air conditioning, and so I was dying of heat, my legs and arms were cramping up around the bag... pretty miserable! I was actually grateful for the security checkpoint where all the Sri Lankan nationals got off the bus and I could move a little. The enormous guard suspiciously checking my passport and bags was, by comparison, a tiny inconvenience!
Sunday, May 9, 2010
St. James, Chilaw and St. Clement, Puttlam
Just about everthing has changed since my last post, and it all happened at the last moment. I get the feeling it is going to be that kind of a summer!
It all started on Friday, when I went with the sisters to a lecture at the Cathedral. When last you read this blog, I was on my own for a couple days as all the clergy were at clergy synod. Well, this lecture was the wrap up for that, and once again the sisters were kind enough to bring me along. When we got there Sr. Lucy took me around the garden, and showed me all the kinds of trees (they have teak trees in the garden!). We also looked at the labrynth they have, which is very difference from others I've seen. The path is made of different materials at different points, from grass to gravel to huge rocks. I think that it is indicative of the changing paths of our lives. Anyway, it was quite nice.
The lecture itself was on "Is Science Very Different From Religion?" given by a Christian engineer from the University of Sri Lanka. He was very good, arguing that science and religion share many of the same qualities (albiet in different quantities) and showing how that goes against many of the major arguements that the militant scientists and athiests use. It was interesting- I agreed with much of what he said, but could see how a scientist who was not religious would take issue with parts of it.
Anyway, at the lecture I ran into my supervisor, Fr. Jayasiri. "Hi" he said "I've been talking to some people about hosting you. You leave tommorow".
"Ok" I thought "last minute, but what the heck, right?" I didn't come to this country to tell them what I should see and when, and after a week in the convent, I was ready to do some other work, and see more of the country.
Fr. Jayasiri stopped by the next afternoon to give me more details. He has a schedule for me for May, which involves quite a lot of travelling, so this blog should stay interesting a while longer. He also briefed me a bit on Chilaw, which is where I was headed that night. He used to be the rector here, back in the eighties.
Fr. Sam came by to pick me up at 7:00. I had my big backpack all packed and ready to go when he pulls up in this tiny hatchback with his wife, son and mother already in the backseat, and a whole bunch of luggage. We wedged all my stuff in somehow, and I went to get in. To give you an idea of how small his car is, our shoulders actually bumped when we got in at the same time. We took off through the Colombo traffic.
I don't know if I've said a lot about the traffic here, but for a small town boy, it's terrifying. There are horns all over the place, people passing people, moterbikes and three wheelers cutting in and out, just avoiding being run down by the enormous trucks that make up a large part of the traffic. Fr. Sam had asked about how I was adjusting, and I said fine, but the traffic took some getting used to. "Well" he said "It could be worse" I wasn't sure...compared to Canada, this was nuts! Then he went on "there are two clear directions of travel, right? And no rickshaws... not many bikes... few pedestrians..." All of a sudden the traffic looked pretty straightforward!
Fr. Sam is very friendly, and we had a good talk over the two hours it took us to get to Chilaw about the Church of Ceylon and the Anglican Church of Canada, how they are the same, and how different. He finished school in 2003, and was priested in 2005, so he is quite young.
There was one other thing about that drive. As we were speeding away from the Convent he looks at me "We have an English service at 7:00 tommorow. Wanna preach?" How could I say no? I had all of 12 hours to prepare!
Flashforward to this morning. The English service is quite small - 4 in the congregation, and Fr. Sam and I. The sermon was a bit awkward- amazing in my head, but not in my mouth. I think I'm a little out of practise from last summer! If people keep asking me to preach at the last minute though, I'll soon get back into it.
The second service was a mixed Sinhala/Tamil service. The youth of the parish were taking a leadership role this Sunday, and the St. James Mother's Union was joininig the Sri Lankan Mother's Union. I didn't understand a bit of the service, of course, although again could follow where we were. At one point, during the sermon, Fr. Sam's tiny kitten wandered into the church and curled up for a nap under my cassock. One of the choir promptly removed it!
Fr. Sam asked me to come up to the altar with him at communion- all the servers, the Lay Eucharistic Ministers and apparently me go up for that. I did my best to stay out of the way, but was never quite sure where I should be. Fr. Sam was very good about pointing and gesturing though. I was asked to distribute the bread (the roti, a local flat bread), which I was very honoured to do. Also very able, which turned out not to be the case when he asked me to perform the abolutions (clean up after communion). Although I've helped with this and seen it done a thousand times, my mind went blank! Usually in a case like that you can look to the servers for help, but they had no idea either. Between us we managed it, and it was at least on my part, a reverent sort of fumbling. I mean, I wasn't sure what I was doing, but I was doing it reverently. Which is a first step, I always think!
After the service I chatted with a few of the congregation as we drank tea on the steps, surrounded by coconut trees. Did I mention that St. James is in a coconut grove? With a view of the lagoon? And a cow?
There was breakfast after the service as well, and then the people who had come up with the Mother's Union from Colombo came over the vicarage with us for lunch. Not right away of course, so I sat and chatted with the Mother's Union ladies for a while.
After lunch we were off to point 2 of the parish, St. Clement, Puttlam. This is a small Tamil congregation about an hour from St. James. It also has a lagoon view and a coconut grove. The congregation and the church are small. The church was full, and I counted 60 people. They have a lay leader who takes care of things most of the time, and Fr. Sam comes out twice a month for Eucharist. This service was in Tamil, of course, and so again I was only able to follow the basic structure. The good news was (for me) that when Fr. Sam asked me to perform the abolutions I was ready, and had practised in my head, and so was able to do it both reverently and correctly. It helped that the lay leader was assisting me, and he clearly knew what he was doing.
After the service we sat drinking milky sweet tea under the trees as a breeze from the lagoon played over us. Later, we ate supper together, sitting in a circle underneath a giant palm tree as the day faded quickly into night.
It all started on Friday, when I went with the sisters to a lecture at the Cathedral. When last you read this blog, I was on my own for a couple days as all the clergy were at clergy synod. Well, this lecture was the wrap up for that, and once again the sisters were kind enough to bring me along. When we got there Sr. Lucy took me around the garden, and showed me all the kinds of trees (they have teak trees in the garden!). We also looked at the labrynth they have, which is very difference from others I've seen. The path is made of different materials at different points, from grass to gravel to huge rocks. I think that it is indicative of the changing paths of our lives. Anyway, it was quite nice.
The lecture itself was on "Is Science Very Different From Religion?" given by a Christian engineer from the University of Sri Lanka. He was very good, arguing that science and religion share many of the same qualities (albiet in different quantities) and showing how that goes against many of the major arguements that the militant scientists and athiests use. It was interesting- I agreed with much of what he said, but could see how a scientist who was not religious would take issue with parts of it.
Anyway, at the lecture I ran into my supervisor, Fr. Jayasiri. "Hi" he said "I've been talking to some people about hosting you. You leave tommorow".
"Ok" I thought "last minute, but what the heck, right?" I didn't come to this country to tell them what I should see and when, and after a week in the convent, I was ready to do some other work, and see more of the country.
Fr. Jayasiri stopped by the next afternoon to give me more details. He has a schedule for me for May, which involves quite a lot of travelling, so this blog should stay interesting a while longer. He also briefed me a bit on Chilaw, which is where I was headed that night. He used to be the rector here, back in the eighties.
Fr. Sam came by to pick me up at 7:00. I had my big backpack all packed and ready to go when he pulls up in this tiny hatchback with his wife, son and mother already in the backseat, and a whole bunch of luggage. We wedged all my stuff in somehow, and I went to get in. To give you an idea of how small his car is, our shoulders actually bumped when we got in at the same time. We took off through the Colombo traffic.
I don't know if I've said a lot about the traffic here, but for a small town boy, it's terrifying. There are horns all over the place, people passing people, moterbikes and three wheelers cutting in and out, just avoiding being run down by the enormous trucks that make up a large part of the traffic. Fr. Sam had asked about how I was adjusting, and I said fine, but the traffic took some getting used to. "Well" he said "It could be worse" I wasn't sure...compared to Canada, this was nuts! Then he went on "there are two clear directions of travel, right? And no rickshaws... not many bikes... few pedestrians..." All of a sudden the traffic looked pretty straightforward!
Fr. Sam is very friendly, and we had a good talk over the two hours it took us to get to Chilaw about the Church of Ceylon and the Anglican Church of Canada, how they are the same, and how different. He finished school in 2003, and was priested in 2005, so he is quite young.
There was one other thing about that drive. As we were speeding away from the Convent he looks at me "We have an English service at 7:00 tommorow. Wanna preach?" How could I say no? I had all of 12 hours to prepare!
Flashforward to this morning. The English service is quite small - 4 in the congregation, and Fr. Sam and I. The sermon was a bit awkward- amazing in my head, but not in my mouth. I think I'm a little out of practise from last summer! If people keep asking me to preach at the last minute though, I'll soon get back into it.
The second service was a mixed Sinhala/Tamil service. The youth of the parish were taking a leadership role this Sunday, and the St. James Mother's Union was joininig the Sri Lankan Mother's Union. I didn't understand a bit of the service, of course, although again could follow where we were. At one point, during the sermon, Fr. Sam's tiny kitten wandered into the church and curled up for a nap under my cassock. One of the choir promptly removed it!
Fr. Sam asked me to come up to the altar with him at communion- all the servers, the Lay Eucharistic Ministers and apparently me go up for that. I did my best to stay out of the way, but was never quite sure where I should be. Fr. Sam was very good about pointing and gesturing though. I was asked to distribute the bread (the roti, a local flat bread), which I was very honoured to do. Also very able, which turned out not to be the case when he asked me to perform the abolutions (clean up after communion). Although I've helped with this and seen it done a thousand times, my mind went blank! Usually in a case like that you can look to the servers for help, but they had no idea either. Between us we managed it, and it was at least on my part, a reverent sort of fumbling. I mean, I wasn't sure what I was doing, but I was doing it reverently. Which is a first step, I always think!
After the service I chatted with a few of the congregation as we drank tea on the steps, surrounded by coconut trees. Did I mention that St. James is in a coconut grove? With a view of the lagoon? And a cow?
There was breakfast after the service as well, and then the people who had come up with the Mother's Union from Colombo came over the vicarage with us for lunch. Not right away of course, so I sat and chatted with the Mother's Union ladies for a while.
After lunch we were off to point 2 of the parish, St. Clement, Puttlam. This is a small Tamil congregation about an hour from St. James. It also has a lagoon view and a coconut grove. The congregation and the church are small. The church was full, and I counted 60 people. They have a lay leader who takes care of things most of the time, and Fr. Sam comes out twice a month for Eucharist. This service was in Tamil, of course, and so again I was only able to follow the basic structure. The good news was (for me) that when Fr. Sam asked me to perform the abolutions I was ready, and had practised in my head, and so was able to do it both reverently and correctly. It helped that the lay leader was assisting me, and he clearly knew what he was doing.
After the service we sat drinking milky sweet tea under the trees as a breeze from the lagoon played over us. Later, we ate supper together, sitting in a circle underneath a giant palm tree as the day faded quickly into night.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
A Changed Perspective
I had one of those perspective changing experiences last night. One of those times that make a person sit and and look at the world in a new way.
I was invited by the Sisters to come along with them to the Cathedral, for a memorial mass for Bishop Harold de Soysa, who was the Bishop of Colombo in the sixties. The Cathedral itself is magnificent. It is built in Sri Lankan architectural style, so it resembles a Buddhist temple. It is build in an octagonal shape, and designed with the altar in the middle, so that the congregation can gather around the altar. It is made out of rough concrete, but the soaring arches and dome are incredibly beautiful. The sense when one goes in is of air and space and coolness (important in this climate).
When we went in we were handed a leaflet with the hymns for the evening. The Church of Ceylon uses English hymnals (at least in the English services) and I recognized all the hymns (some of my favorites, including "To God be the Glory, Who Great Things Has Done). The hymn for during communion was "How Great Thou Art".
How Great Thou Art has always been a favorite of mine. We used to sing it every summer at our annual Church Camp, when most of the congregation of Holy Trinity would pack up their tents and RVs and head out to the David Thompson Resort for a weekend. We would have the Sunday eucharist service out on a hillside, looking over a valley of pine trees and beyond to the startling blue of Abraham Lake. We would worship there, surrounded on all sides by towering mountains, and sing "How Great Thou Art". We are the products of our experiences, and so I always associate that hymn with the pine forests of the Rocky Mountains.
These words have always conjured up for me a vision of wandering through the sparse pines around The David Thompson Resort, coming unexpectedly on a small stream maybe, and feeling the ever present breeze off Lake Abraham. Your average Rocky Mountain experience, familiar to anyone whose had the opportunity to visit the forests of Alberta. It is a very Canadian scene.
So here we were, merrily sweltering in the sticky heat of the tropics, belting out this old hymn, this hymn that I associate totally with Canada, with Alberta. As we were singing, I got to thinking: The Sri Lankans have forests. And mountains (grand ones too!) they have brooks, and they have gentle breezes (for which I am always grateful!). The mountains and forests look nothing like the ones in Canada. No evenly spaced pines here! No jagged chunks of rock poking into the sky. It was then that I realized that this hymn was not necessarily a Canadian hymn. The Sri Lankans who sing this hymn do so with perfect sincerity, and a totally different image in their minds than I do.
Yet we both mean the same things by it. For this is not a hymn to nature, but a hymn to God, and we both worship the same God, each from our own contexts. So I will continue to think of the lovely Rocky Mountains when I sing it, and I hope that the Sri Lankans will think of their mountains, and we will agree on the chorus:
I was invited by the Sisters to come along with them to the Cathedral, for a memorial mass for Bishop Harold de Soysa, who was the Bishop of Colombo in the sixties. The Cathedral itself is magnificent. It is built in Sri Lankan architectural style, so it resembles a Buddhist temple. It is build in an octagonal shape, and designed with the altar in the middle, so that the congregation can gather around the altar. It is made out of rough concrete, but the soaring arches and dome are incredibly beautiful. The sense when one goes in is of air and space and coolness (important in this climate).
When we went in we were handed a leaflet with the hymns for the evening. The Church of Ceylon uses English hymnals (at least in the English services) and I recognized all the hymns (some of my favorites, including "To God be the Glory, Who Great Things Has Done). The hymn for during communion was "How Great Thou Art".
How Great Thou Art has always been a favorite of mine. We used to sing it every summer at our annual Church Camp, when most of the congregation of Holy Trinity would pack up their tents and RVs and head out to the David Thompson Resort for a weekend. We would have the Sunday eucharist service out on a hillside, looking over a valley of pine trees and beyond to the startling blue of Abraham Lake. We would worship there, surrounded on all sides by towering mountains, and sing "How Great Thou Art". We are the products of our experiences, and so I always associate that hymn with the pine forests of the Rocky Mountains.
When through the woods
And forest glades I wander
I hear the birds
Sing sweetly in the trees;
When I look down
From lofty mountain grandeur
And hear the brook
And feel the gentle breeze;
These words have always conjured up for me a vision of wandering through the sparse pines around The David Thompson Resort, coming unexpectedly on a small stream maybe, and feeling the ever present breeze off Lake Abraham. Your average Rocky Mountain experience, familiar to anyone whose had the opportunity to visit the forests of Alberta. It is a very Canadian scene.
So here we were, merrily sweltering in the sticky heat of the tropics, belting out this old hymn, this hymn that I associate totally with Canada, with Alberta. As we were singing, I got to thinking: The Sri Lankans have forests. And mountains (grand ones too!) they have brooks, and they have gentle breezes (for which I am always grateful!). The mountains and forests look nothing like the ones in Canada. No evenly spaced pines here! No jagged chunks of rock poking into the sky. It was then that I realized that this hymn was not necessarily a Canadian hymn. The Sri Lankans who sing this hymn do so with perfect sincerity, and a totally different image in their minds than I do.
Yet we both mean the same things by it. For this is not a hymn to nature, but a hymn to God, and we both worship the same God, each from our own contexts. So I will continue to think of the lovely Rocky Mountains when I sing it, and I hope that the Sri Lankans will think of their mountains, and we will agree on the chorus:
Then sings my soul,
My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art!
How great Thou art!
Then sings my soul,
My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art!
How great Thou art!
Sunday, May 2, 2010
The First Weekend!
Things have been going along quite nicely here in Sri Lanka! I'm staying with the Sisters of St. Margaret, a group of Anglican nuns, and since my days at the moment are quite relaxed, I have been joining them for the daily offices. I really like the daily offices, and am glad that I've landed in a place where there is a community to pray with! We have Matins at 6:20, Mid Day prayer at 12:00 and Vespers at 6:00. The sisters are very friendly, and have been helping this poor dumb Canadian to sort out the right pages in the book - it's almost as complicated as the BAS in Canada!
This weekend was May Day, and so the parish church near here, St. Michael and All Angels, Polwatte, held a May Day mass. They invited me to come along, and I'm glad I did - it was like nothing I would see in Canada! We started with a march around the village, led by traditional dancers. All the priests (there were quite a few) were wearing their usual white cassocks, with red stoles emblazoned with the Hammer and Sickle! I marched next to a Sri Lankan ordinand, and just in front of the retired Dean of the Cathedral, Fr. Sydney Knight, who has been very kind to me. After the march (about half an hour, but seemed longer in the hot sun) we went into the church for the mass. The service was all in Tamil and Sinhalese, so I couldn't understand a word of it, but I was still able to follow more or less what part of the service we were at. Things were kicked off by remarks from a Buddhist Monk, and an Imam. Instead of the sermon there was a drama, with Jesus and his followers (the workers) walking in, carrying the cross. Then a man dressed in coat and top hat with "America - USA" written all over it in red white and blue came in, and did a little dance, kicking at Jesus every now and then. As he ran off stage, a chorus came on, did a little dance and song. Then the American was replaced by a politician, then the chorus, then an actor. It was really cool, with great Sri Lankan music through the whole thing. It felt like the liberation theology we talk about in school being lived out!
Yesterday was Sunday, and I went to St. Michael's for the services. I had been asked to preach at the 7:30 (English) service. It went ok, I think. The services here are quite high church, with lots of incense, and bells at the Sanctus and the Consecration (even the outside bell of the church!). I went to the next two services as well the 9:00 (Sinhalese) and 10:30 (Tamil). They were quite similar, although the language was very different. The music changed as well - the 7:3- service felt like an English service, but the 9:00 and 10:30 felt more Sri Lankan. that's not really a good distinction, I know, since they were all authentically Sri Lankan, but it's hard to feel local when you have a pipe organ blasting out English 19th Century hymns!
This weekend was May Day, and so the parish church near here, St. Michael and All Angels, Polwatte, held a May Day mass. They invited me to come along, and I'm glad I did - it was like nothing I would see in Canada! We started with a march around the village, led by traditional dancers. All the priests (there were quite a few) were wearing their usual white cassocks, with red stoles emblazoned with the Hammer and Sickle! I marched next to a Sri Lankan ordinand, and just in front of the retired Dean of the Cathedral, Fr. Sydney Knight, who has been very kind to me. After the march (about half an hour, but seemed longer in the hot sun) we went into the church for the mass. The service was all in Tamil and Sinhalese, so I couldn't understand a word of it, but I was still able to follow more or less what part of the service we were at. Things were kicked off by remarks from a Buddhist Monk, and an Imam. Instead of the sermon there was a drama, with Jesus and his followers (the workers) walking in, carrying the cross. Then a man dressed in coat and top hat with "America - USA" written all over it in red white and blue came in, and did a little dance, kicking at Jesus every now and then. As he ran off stage, a chorus came on, did a little dance and song. Then the American was replaced by a politician, then the chorus, then an actor. It was really cool, with great Sri Lankan music through the whole thing. It felt like the liberation theology we talk about in school being lived out!
Yesterday was Sunday, and I went to St. Michael's for the services. I had been asked to preach at the 7:30 (English) service. It went ok, I think. The services here are quite high church, with lots of incense, and bells at the Sanctus and the Consecration (even the outside bell of the church!). I went to the next two services as well the 9:00 (Sinhalese) and 10:30 (Tamil). They were quite similar, although the language was very different. The music changed as well - the 7:3- service felt like an English service, but the 9:00 and 10:30 felt more Sri Lankan. that's not really a good distinction, I know, since they were all authentically Sri Lankan, but it's hard to feel local when you have a pipe organ blasting out English 19th Century hymns!
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