It is very difficult to successfully grow 'living stones', or Lithops. But we have one in a tiny plastic pot within a tea cup that seems happy here, right now. One shoot is splitting into four, not the customary two, and the other is actually readying to blossom. This is rare! We looked up the species on the net and found a picture of the anticipated blossom. .......................
Yesterday, we attended the installation of the Rev. Dr. John Helt at his new church, St. Paul's United Church of Christ in the town of Erin, WI. (His assignment to that post was previously addressed in the SRN: http://raccoonnews.blogspot.com/2009/07/you-want-cemetery-with-that.html and http://raccoonnews.blogspot.com/2009/03/sewer-raccoon-sketchbook-entry.html)
Yesterday, John officially took the reins at St. Paul's, together with all the ministers who make up that congregation; they're all in it together. The event included many friends from former congregations John has ministered to. People traveling from afar to celebrate the glorious occasion. Friends and clerics participated while John beamed from the back of the church. Rev. Tom Nordberg delivered a dynamite sermon for his oldest and bestest clergyman friend. Son Adam and daughter Anni lifted up a spine-clilling duet, Swing Low, Sweet Chariot. John's mother, 90-some year old motorcyclist, came up from Burlington IA.
A Gospel choir had been booked into the church for Oct. 18, and as plans were laid for just when to have the installation, John said, "Let's have the choir concert and follow it with my installation on the 18th." That worked out in beautiful dovetail fashion, for the strumming trio set a perfect harmony and warm-up act for the rite to follow.
The day was lovely. Sunny. The fall colors stunningly adorned wooded hills and fields and presented autumnal crossed-branch arcades leading to the little old church at Monches and St. Augustine roads. Everybody was rejoicing for the Helts, and we dare say that the spirits hovering over their graves at the rear of the church (mingling with the crowd?) were pleased, perhaps especially so.
The next chapter for this historic country corner church is like our subject lithops plant, looking like a soon to bloom 'Jack in the Pulpit', but in this case John's in the Pulpit.
So mote it be!
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