Yellow day

Wednesday, March 27. All of a sudden I'm noticing the color yellow!  Yellow daffodils and jonquils, forsythia. Even some of the yellow signs are more apparent. Before the pinks explode and take over, I thought I'd spend some time noticing the color yellow.
My route today took me back south along Military Road where I stopped to read the sign in front of the small library branch there. This is how the road got its name.

I suppose I knew this before, but I hadn't realized that there used to be cherry orchards in this area.
Continuing along the road south, I noticed that I could see a yellow church, the place where some brothers and sisters worship on Sunday. I know that the location was once the home of Cherrydale Baptist Church, that long since moved down the street. Their old church building is now occupied by Fe Y Alabanza, the church that uses our building for Christian education on Saturday night.
I walked around their building, cheered by the bright yellow color and neat appearance. No one seemed to be inside, but I couldn't really tell. The church seems to own a van, parked safely inside a picket fence. Didn't know that before!

The church sign on the building declares the name in English first, in large letters, and then in Spanish.

I prayed as I circled the building, that this congregation is anticipating the great day of Easter, when we will celebrate the son/sun rise.

Halfway...

It's nearly halfway through Lent. I've discovered that walking from my starting location means that I don't have a lot of choices for new scenery, EXCEPT that the opening up of spring means more and more things are blossoming. The Lenten Rose is well along. Look for some, too, in the church's Memorial Garden.

Spring also smells like mulch. I can tell the gardeners' homes by what they smell like just now.
I decided to head north again on the main road, and judge just how much ground I could cover in one half hour. The estimate put me right at a mile, with a home of a parishioner just within reach. I lovely short stop, just enough time to enjoy the glass of water offered to me! Thanks, Paul.

Blessings on this home that doesn't forget how to honor a parent. We need to remember and not forget anyone.
On the way back, I noticed some leftovers in the corner of the golf course. It's unlikely that anyone will see these discarded pieces of machinery. They will be left to rust and perhaps poison the surrounding water run off. It reminded me of Jesus remembering the 'discarded' people and the difference it makes when someone pays attention.

More findings

Monday's walking (March 25) took me up the hill behind the church again. That neighborhood has steep streets!  There are lots more houses having construction done on them--either tear-downs with brand new construction or very extensive remodeling. Having done this myself in two houses (Coral Gables FL and Herndon VA) I know how much work and trouble it creates. It does make me think about how much effort and resources it takes, and whether it's all worth it.

At another home, I was happy to see some fencing marking off a 'tree conservation area.' Someone is thinking about preserving the canopy from all the disturbance from construction.

On the street in front of this house was a construction crew digging down through the pavement to make a new water connection for this house under construction. They chatted with me a while before I went up the hill, trying to find a cut through to the elementary school just below. Didn't find one, so I had to turn around.
On the way back, I decided to go behind the elementary school again and discovered a few new things--a picnic table...

...and a way to play music in the playground.

When the weather gets warmer, I'm packing a picnic.

Like Scotland Weather

The rain and cold today makes me think of my sabbatical time in Scotland on the island of Iona. On Tuesday of Holy Week in 2017, the Abbey guests participated in a hike around the island, which is about 6 miles. It was cold and damp that day, too, and I am wearing the same shoes. They walk well.
On my route today, I decided to start southward, and then veered off into a route down Nelly Custis Rd and back around some steep inclines, passed a few churches. Steep inclines are unavoidable in this area.
I prayed for the people in each house and church I passed, not knowing exactly what to pray for, but finding clues in what I noticed. This house's occupant loves dogs, and I smiled at the bumper sticker in the driveway.

More than obvious ties to rescued in Christ! Praying prayers of thanksgiving that this house will keep on rescuing.
 Some prayers are prayers of thanksgiving, but others are prayers of intercession. There is a house on Nelly Custis that has been the site of some tragedy. Fire marks above a boarded up front window and a "DO NOT ENTER--DANGEROUS FOR HABITATION" sign on the front door make that obvious. Can't tell what happened here, but likely a situation in need of prayer.

There are ample places to pray in this neighborhood--three churches within a short walking distance from ours: Cherrydale Methodist, St. Andrews Episcopal and Cherrydale Baptist--all unique congregations, but very similar buildings when walking past.

People who can, can walk to any of these four churches, as long as we make it easy for them. I muse about the barriers that keep it from being easy. Walking the path of Jesus is both easy and hard. Just wondering...
Are we telling the Good News in compelling enough ways?
Does it matter whether people know we are praying for them and with them or not?

Hoping for better weather tomorrow.

New rhythm...reading and walking

Wednesday, March 20
Happy first day of spring. I tried a different way of walking today--walking while reading. I am someone who likes to multitask, but it might just be a way of being lazy.
I have a new book that I've been wanting to get to, so I chose to walk today by circling the parking lot, first clockwise then counterclockwise, to keep from getting dizzy. Keeping off the sidewalk also would help me to keep from bumping into people.
Here's the book I was reading. I thought it would be funny, and it is. I found myself giggling in several places, having to explain myself to people parking their cars and going into the church building.
The author Peter Enns has a delightful style: "The Bible is designed for wisdom because it reflects the wisdom of God--not despite its antiquity, ambiguity, and diversity, but precisely by means of them. Its purpose is to invite us to explore, ponder, reflect, muse, discuss, debate, and in doing so work out a life of faith--not to keep that hard work from happening. The Bible is not the problem. The Bible is great--not because it is an answer book, but precisely because it isn't; not because it protectively hovers over us [like a helicopter parent], but because it most definitely doesn't." In the first few chapters, I had to guffaw more than once.
So let's clear out a few more places where there is dead wood, and take up walking for wisdom.

A late start...

Tuesday, March 19. Too many things to do at work for me to take an hour off, so my walk had to be in my own neighborhood, in the streets around my house. I like to see that the red flowering plants in our front greenhouse are very visible from the street. The geraniums that have been started from cuttings are doing very well. The other orange kalanchoe and red poinsiettas (rescued from Christmas) are doing well, too. They make for a cheery sight for someone entering the driveway.
Daylight savings time allows for a few more minutes in the evening to stay outside. I haven't walked my own residential neighborhood in quite a while.  There are some more remodelings and garden refurbishings around. The neighbor across the street has a new dog, a replacement for an old companion dog who died last fall.
The low sun casts a long shadow in front of me on the sidewalk.

The almost full moon is also visible just above the horizon. 

Walking with friends...

Monday, March 18. Over the weekend, I felt sickly and tired, so I begged off my walking. Today I was surprised to see someone actually took me up on the invitation to walk!  Good thing I was feeling better.We headed north along the main road and mused together about the environment we see. What's that building for in the stream bed?  A pumping station? My walking companion, Patrice, has such a wide variety of experience in working with nature. I got to hear about the intricate and wonderful experience in tagging monarch butterflies. Butterfly habitat, particularly places where milkweeds grow, is disappearing rapidly and so making for the disappearance of the monarchs. Patrice told me about their amazing, generations long, migratory habits in moving about North America and finally laying their eggs in a small number of Mexican forests before the next generations of monarchs continue their cycle of migration. How do you tag a monarch?  Very carefully!

We encountered another mystery--an abandoned home next to the nature center property that looks like it's being readied for another purpose--a recycled building. Perhaps an extension to the nature center? The sign seems to say so. Got us thinking...what will this neighborhood look like in 50 years? How will be able to sustain the kind of life style that this wealth seems to promote? Will single-family homes of this nature survive in a world of drastic climate change? How should a church prepare people to live into this future?
Thanks, Patrice, for the companionship along The Way.

Precious Time

No doubt about it now. Looking for evidence of spring is the surest way to find it. Today's walk took me far afield of the church neighborhood. I drove over to McLean, to take advantage of the timing before an afternoon meeting there.
I have crossed over Pimmit Run many times, without realizing its place in the geography of these parts. There is an extensive trail system following that Run, I've found out, and one can wander natural areas of geography, as long as the land isn't good for building houses. I suspect that this natural watershed floods often, and so would wash away structures like houses. It leaves the streambed and surrounding flood plains clear, to be claimed by any park system that wants to preserve them.

Very large houses have been built overlooking this streambed. They seem high enough to avoid all but the most serious of flood threats. However, "100-yr" floods have been happening all over the country. What would it take to flood these homes and inflict 7-figure losses on their owners? I wonder how long it will take us to realize the folly of building such mansions in a world of global warming? By the year 2050, the houses perched above this streambed may be holding 2, 3, or even 4 families. I hope that the occupants realize how fortunate they are to live in the 2020's.

Community Infrastructure

I started out on time today, walking north on Military Trail with beautiful sunshine. I noticed the heavy power lines that follow this section of roadway, and then cross the road a little beyond Donaldson run. Overhead the trees compete with the powerlines. Looks like someone needs to referee this conflict! We need both the trees and the powerlines.
 It got me thinking about all the infrastructure that is needed to keep this neighborhood together--physical, spiritual, etc. Someone has to maintain all this. We're living organisms, embedded in other systems of living organisms, and there have to be things holding us all together.
I crossed the road at Donaldson Run and wandered into the trail that follows the stream, down the stairs leading to stepping stones over the water. It beckoned me over. Since I was well-shod I attempted it, and made it!
I wandered up the hill, into what later proved to be Potomac Overlook Park, another system of natural infrastructure, well-integrated into the homes that surround it. Someone is maintaining these trails, as the signs say.

Every three to five minutes a plane flies overhead. Landing patterns at Reagan National Airport use approach paths over the Potomac River--an example of the trasportation infrastructure that binds people together.
At sometime in the past, people gathered at the overlook to watch the river. It was said that people could see the 4th of July fireworks on the Mall from this spot on the river. Now trees block the view except in winter time.
I made my way back through the Potomac Overlook park after taking a detour to see as much of the river as I could.
How is a church related to the neighborhood infrastructure?  What part does it play in binding people together? And what happens if we stop maintaining it?

"when you pray, move your feet..."

I got a late start today. Passing down the steps to Memorial Garden, to admire the snow drops blooming (thanks, Lola!) I took the route North on the big street in front of the church. It's a busy street, moderate traffic for a residential neighborhood, cars, cyclers, joggers, and hikers like me. Hardly anyone obeys the speed limit (including me, when I drive away from the church). So I prayed for everyone who passed me--that they arrive at their destination safely, and that they would have a blessed day while enjoying this outdoor sunshine.
 More things to notice when walking instead of driving:
1) The hills are really apparent to a walker along this route. I huffed and puffed my way up and down, up and down, crossing three drainage 'runs' that intersect the street. Up one hill, down to the next stream. Repeat. I noticed one stream goes under the street into a culvert that disappears under the hill on the other side. It's exit is not visible. But water has to go somewhere. I'm hoping that the houses in its path have waterproofed basements.
2) I didn't know that there is a network of trails through these woods. One can hike from here, the Gulf Branch entrance, to Theodore Roosevelt Island via a section of the Potomac Heritage Trail.
3) The little signs labeling native plants at the Gulf Branch trail entrance are in need of some attention.
4) Donaldson Run Civic Association posts its newsletter in a nice boxed sign at the park.

Mon March 11

My birthday!  I'm continuing my Lent discipline of walking for one hour every day until Easter. When I'm around the church, I intend to start at noon, just when the church chimes are sounding. Today I was curious to hear if the chimes made the adjustment to Daylight Savings Time. I remember in years past that they didn't. Today, yes, right on time at noon! They chimed the 12 notes for the hour and then played "Lift High the Cross" which I remember was a favorite of one of a former parishioner, now singing in the heavenly choir. Lots of fond memories as I headed up the paved path through the woods behind the church, noticing that there isn't a house in sight, even though this spot is less than a tenth of a mile from the church. I noticed several other well worn paths that branch off from the sidewalk and head into the woods. There is evidence that lots of people know these trails. Broken green glass is strewn about. At another place a make-shift shelter has been put together by leaning logs between two upright trees. Probably some industrious budding children engineers.

The hills and vales that meander through this part of north Arlington have been cut by water draining into the Potomac River. The county has preserved lots of wooded acreage in this area. Trees help keep the land in place, prevent erosion, and anchor those expensive and large houses clinging to the sides of hills.
I kept walking, noticing the quiet, until I reached the top of the hill and the backyard of the local elementary school. Playground noises started to intrude my hearing. I noticed the amazing outdoor garden area, which I had not seen before. It's obvious that the values of nature and penchant for gardening are being instilled into these young children. I approached the play ground to see lots of pick up games among the kids, and teachers keeping an appropriate distance.

Since I had already climbed up a significant hill, I decided to keep finding a route that would take me higher. I could see through the trees that this particular spot in Arlington was a high one for many miles around. I could see across the Potomac to the site of the National Cathedral in the distance.

 I kept climbing via neighborhood streets to reach a point that seemed to be the highest home lot in the area. Reaching that spot (on a dead end street) I noticed that it's a modest home, looking like one of the original homebuilder's types that are so prevalent here. Even though it occupies the highest piece of ground, the little house doesn't seem to take advantage of the view because it's only one story. That great view is better appreciated by a neighboring house's design, just a few feet lower down the street, a full three stories high and high above the street. I wonder if the home's occupants look out their window at the National Cathedral. Do they have a faith tradition that takes them to a church or do they read the paper and drink coffee on Sunday morning and enjoy the beautiful view?

Since the route back to the church was all downhill from here, I made it in lots less time than I had planned, so a took another side trip down Marcey Road. A house on that street looks like it might have been an old farmhouse. I have heard that Marcey farm was an early occupier of this neighborhood and that the little church I serve stands on farmland bought by the church from the Marcey family.  Am I looking at the  original farmhouse? Next door to the old farmhouse is a large house, either newly constructed or newly remodeled to look like a country house and barn, complete with farm fence and warning sign for traffic on the street.Yes, lots of kids and families live in this neighborhood. I wonder if they know how privileged they are to have such wealth in beautiful surroundings. Do we know how high a vantage point we have? Does it make us feel protected? special? humble?

Buen Camino!

Today I begin my Lent discipline of walking 1 hour each day. I started at noon, outside the door of the church and headed south along Military Road. I planned to walk as far in this direction as I could for 1/2 hour, with the thought of turning around and walking back.
Prayer Walking is an old habit I have discarded, so I thought it would be good to re-invigorate it during this year's Lent season.
I am taking this up intentionally to encourage my congregation to also "walk" along "the Way," as we join other pilgrims along the Camino Santiago de Compestela, at least figuratively. We will greet each other on Sunday morning with "Buen Camino!"--Good road to you.
I also intend to walk along different routes each day and record some prayer thoughts and noticings. Here's what I learned today that I didn't know.

• In Arlington, one can sponsor a bus stop. 
• There are a number of competing businesses at that funny intersection of Lee Highway, Old Dominion and Quincy, not only the auto dealerships--Honda and Toyota--but veterinary clinics--Northside and Cherrydale.
• This area didn't start to be settled until after the Civil War. [From that Virginia history plaque in front of the library.]
• The cross walk button at the light at Lorcom and Quincy doesn't seem to be working.
• The most noticeable thing about the residences in the neighborhood is how much effort goes into home appearance--landscaping is beautiful! Shared values, it seems, are the tree canopy, scale and variety in plantings, neatly trimmed hedges--all designed to enhance the outdoor beauty and say "We care that this neighborhood looks good." There is lots of evidence of recent property renovations--fresh poured concrete and paving stones, construction debris bins. I have lived through several whole-house renovations myself and know the expense and trouble of doing this. But the results are good!  I must say that the 'little church with a big mission' also shares those values. We want to look good as well as do good. I realize the cautionary note here: are we doing as well as we look? It's easy to be seduced into thinking that we all have it all together because our surroundings are so beautiful. Lent makes me face the very real possibility that it isn't so.

My hope and prayer today was that the people who live in these neighborhood homes put as much effort to their spiritual lives as they do into their homes, so that their full lives can be as abundant as their homes appear to be. And so for the church.