Glass

 

It wasn't easy to tear myself away from our impending doom 24/7 news war cycle but that's what I did, put down the internet and drove out to Mission #2 for a presentation by Bryant Stanton of Stanton Studios on his glasswork. This features at the Mission in a series of windows, which he made in the '80s.

Since then he's grown in expertise and so has his family business, which produces remarkable glass, not least for the Church. Seriously, here's a person, a true artist and craftsman who creates beauty in this medium, glass.

I tell you, a rare breed and even rarer, totally without side, a humble and faithful Christian artisan. I was totally impressed. You can see his studio's work here and, if your church needs new or restored stained glass, give him a call. Most definitely the real deal. I understand he works nationally but perhaps overseas too.

And herein lies a lesson. We've surrounded ourselves with ugliness in our shortsighted greed and this reflects an ugliness of the soul. Stanton and people like him are about the exact opposite, we must support them.

Cheers,

LSP

SSC

 

The local chapter of the SSC (Society of the Holy Cross) met today in Fort Worth and there we were, in the Church of the Holy Apostles on the western border of Cow Town, worshiping God. Great result and you'll be amazed to know there was no interpretive liturgical dance set to the dismal beat of guitars, pan pipes and foot stomping priestesses.

No, none of that, just the Mass and that sung with quiet dignity and reverence, beautiful, well done. After the sacred mysteries we moved next door to the church hall for a Chick-fil-A box lunch and I took the opportunity to admire the church's attractive "Garth," which means "enclosed quadrangle" and glowing stained glass in the church itself.

Uplifting, on both counts, and the Chick boxes weren't bad either, nice. Then, lunch over, we heard a presentation on the recent goings on at GAFCON and I, for one, was left wondering if the Global South Primates have the mettle to squeeze the trigger and declare themselves formally out of communion with Justsin Welby.

Justsin, you may recall, has joyfully embraced the rainbow while pretending not to, and this has enraged our dusky heteronormative brethren. Quite right too, let's see if African sound and fury equates to actual thunder. If it does, I'm prepared to be amazed. Watch this space.

Then, business over, I wandered down to the stream at the bottom of the churchyard, overgrown with riotous spring growth. And there was the water, untouched, it felt, by the march of time. I wanted to fish it but didn't have a rod, maybe next time.

God bless,

LSP