07.13.08
Posted in Uncategorized, Religion at 11:17 am by Administrator
In the nineteenth century, one small town in New Hampshire had only one Meetinghouse/Church that all of the denominations shared. How did they do that? They would take turns. The Baptists, Unitarians, Congregationalists, and others, would set up a schedule with various ministers “supplying,” the word they used for “presenting” a sermon. There were sometimes two services per day, on Sunday, and different suppliers each week.
This shows the cooperative spirit of early New Englanders. No one had to have the whole pie; just a piece of it.
Ultimately, it is of no consequence to which brand of religion you ascribe. The Methodists will not break through the line at the Pearly Gates any sooner than anyone else. In fact, those who feel superior just because they belong to a certain religion, should think again. Loving God and your fellow man is key to spiritual continuity.
Whether you are a member of “the Church of the Divine Looney,” or no church at all, you are just as loved by the Author of the Universe. To acknowledge that life-giving force is to realize something greater than ourselves that reaches beyond sometimes narrow-minded and exclusionary ideology.
I wish you a Happy Sunday! I hope that your day is quiet, reflective, and creative. Unlike some sects who only sit and read the Bible all day on Sunday, I personally believe that some creative work, such as quilting, on this day, honors the Life Force by which we came to be. Every stitch taken, by hand, can be a meditative experience.
Whomever your “Supplier” is this Sunday, whether it is a church official or simply a Christian radio station, remember that your right to hear any sermon is related to “free speech.” Just for a moment, stop to think of the magnitude of those two words. Remember, too, those souls now gone to rest, who shared one, common, white church with a steeple, and who had room in their hearts and tolerance for those whose religious beliefs were just a little bit different than their own.
Patricia Cummings
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07.12.08
Posted in Musings at 1:16 am by Administrator
Most people don’t want to think about their last minutes on this earth. Some people have to think about the last moments of another person’s existence. This week, I received an e-mail from a missionary friend in South America. He told me that a friend of his had been very ill and she was in the hospital. He went to see her and he wanted to comfort her and pray with her. However, there was so much commotion in the room, he told her he would come back. He felt like hollering - “Don’t you understand that she is dying?” There was no peace to be found, and when he went back, he found that she had already wandered off “to the other side.”
In the old days, people were not shoved into an institution because they were sick or they were dying. The family cared for its own. Today, if anything “happens,” a person is shuffled off by ambulance, only to be treated with invasive and non-invasive tests and treatments. But, where are those of spiritual strength who could help to ease the mental suffering of medical ordeals? They are not to be found. We are left to be “numbers” while the family stays at a distance, or purposely keeps away.
Today, we are afraid of seeing someone die. Everything is so sanitized and neat and tidy when death occurs other than “home.” The undertaker whisks the body away, never to be seen again. Cremation is a cheap alternative, not that the results of passing on are inexpensive, these days.
What we have lost is the spiritual meaning when Death comes knocking. I have never, personally, been witness to another person’s demise. However, I envision that it could be a lot more meaningful without hospital personnel running around, trying to “save” a life. In some instances, a person has lived a long and full life and is tired and really, quite ready to “go.” Prolonging a life, in that instance, may seem like a moral imperative, yet, for the patient, it is not in their best interest.
Since none of us wants to leave life prematurely, it’s a tough question to ask, or to answer, but here goes? How would you prefer to live your last moments? Would you like loved ones present? Or, would you like to be alone? Would you like to hear silence or music? Would you like to be attended to by family, or the medical staff of a home or hospital? None of us can predict the future, and people sometimes die in very strange ways, like choking on a cornflake or piece of steak, having a fatal reaction to latex, or peanut butter, or being bitten by a bear or poisonous snake. There are so many agents that could possibly do us in, it’s a wonder we live as long as we do!
I guess the key to happiness is not to worry about such topics. However, from time to time, I ponder the spiritual sanctity of the final moments that all humans must face. I can only hope that I will have a caring friend, at that time, who will help me to consider eternity, and what my life may have meant. Now, back to more sunny matters.
Patricia Cummings
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07.09.08
Posted in Uncategorized, Antiques, Quilt History at 12:20 pm by Administrator
The bed cover you see above was languishing in the corner of an antique store and begging me to purchase it. Actually, my first impression was that I did not want it. As any two color quilt would, it photographs well. The tufts of yarn that hold it together create a secondary interest. The main motif, for some reason, reminds me of a Ship’s Wheel. However, I have not had time to research any published names for this pattern.
We purchased this on the same day that we bought the spanking clean, never used, nineteenth century, sixteen-patch, hand-quilted quilt from a Connecticut estate. The two textiles are decidedly different in workmanship, but one quality that they share in common is that are both finished. That’s a good word - “finished.”
Nineteenth century browns, double pinks, and chrome yellow prints were used to create this 19th century gem.
Hope you enjoy seeing this kinds of pieces of the past.
Patricia Cummings
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