It’s not easy being green. Day Four.

A St. Patrick's Day to remember.

March 2022 was the return of the St. Patrick's Day parade in New York City. We were so excited because we had heard so much about it. We got up early in orde

r to get a good spot and soon discovered a great spot to view right in from of St Thomas' church. They were gracious enough to stay open during the parade (which also made their bathroom accessible).  But when we went inside we were  stunned at the beauty of the sanctuary. It made for a surprise moment of prayer in a serene setting.

It was drizzling off and on that morning but we made the most of it and claimed our spot on the sidewalk. Here are my take-aways from the NYC

St.

Patty's Parade:

• Two groups got the largest response from the crowd:
  1. 1. 1. 1. Healthcare workers
           2. The crew behind the horses carrying shovels and pushing trash cans
• I never knew there were that many bagpipes in the world - let alone the NYC area.
• I expected to see Irish dancing. But alas there were too many bagpipes to squeeze in so no dancing.

We discovered something phenomenal on our walk back to lunch....how Amazon delivers in the city. You can see from the picture here that it's quite an ordeal.  I have no idea how they actually get the packages to the right places. I have no idea how there isn't more theft. It was an impressive site to behold.

In between Lunch and Dinner we met with a local actor, Destan Owens, who shared his story of life in NYC and his journey of faith. He riffed a bit on the things that keep us moving towards Jesus and then spoke about our preaching in terms of orchestration: knowing when to crescendo or decrescendo and seeking the movement within the text and within our words.

We rounded out the day with dinner at Tavern on the Green. This restaurant has been around since the 1930s. It has gone through many different management/ownership changes and yet still offers a high quality fine dining experience.

The restaurant is just inside of Central Park on what used to be a site for 700 sheep that grazed in the field nearby.

The restaurant has seen the city transform around it but it has remained a location for people to gather and celebrate together.

The theme of movement continued on this day in what we saw in the parade (and as a celebration of the Irish people who moved to NYC), in the Amazon packages, in Destan's words about our words, and in the iconic restaurant that moved sheep to make room for people.

Until Everyone Hears,

Dr. K

P.S. - In case you start at the beginning of our trip, you can read about it here.

P.P.S. - Genesis 1:28 (NRSV)

#faith

#prayer

#HolyMischief