Pastor Rick's pictures from Egypt
Pastor Rick's pictures from Rome
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Rick's Roamings and Ramblings #10
Date: Mon Jul 4, 2005
Dear friends,

I think this is going to be my final "Rambling."  I have eight days left until I start heading back to California.  I can't believe how the time has flown by the last few weeks!

Here in Eugene I've been working with a retired music composition professor, Hall Owen, attending a few concerts featuring contemporary music, and reading up on the texts I'm working with as I set them to music.  Hal has been very encouraging and a great person to work with.  The couple who have been housing me have been wonderful hosts and a delight to get to know, and the people I've met here in Eugene have been great.  I've also been able to visit with my family a bit, and some friends who've recently moved here from Monterey as well. 

The texts which I'm currently composing music for include: Odes of Solomon 11, 16, 21, and 34, Gospel of Thomas 10 and 70.  I'm resonably certain that I will have at least six pieces completed to present on August 27.  I'm hopefull that I may also add a few more to the list in the next week as well.  We'll see. 

The whole experience has been incredible and I will be reflecting upon it and learning from it for a long time to come.  I am so gratefull for this sabbatical time!

Looking forward to seeing you soon,

Rick

PS  Please keep the evening of Saturday, August 27 free for the formal presentation of the music I've written during my time away.

Rick's Roamings and Ramblings #9
Date: Mon Jun 20, 2005
Dear friends,

Well, it's been a while since I've sent one of these.  The last several weeks I've been vacationing in Spain with my brother and his family and I am only now getting back into "sabbatical mode."  My last couple of days in Italy I was not able to find internet access so please allow me to get you caught up on what happened that last week.

On Thursday, May 19, I took a day to drive the Sorrento and Amalfi coasts.  It was absolutely breathtaking.  The next day I went to Paestum where there are some well-preserved Greek temples which date back to the fifth century BCE.  This afforded an interesting opportunity to reflect upon how Greek culture influenced the Roman Empire.  I must admit that the architecture of these temples can "sing" in a way I didn't experience at the other sites I've visited. 

Saturday was spent traveling to Subiaco.  It was a gorgeous day and I arrived early enough to visit the nearby Monastery of St. Benedict, a very unusual and historically signifigant place.

On  Sunday I went to a local church for worship, then spent the afternoon driving through the country side, walking in the woods, ooing and ahhing at the beautiful scenery and just trying to center myself and reflect upon the last two months.  The last couple of days here in Italy were meant to be a time for contemplation, so I'm trying to keep a slower pace. 

I did, however, make a little foray into Tivoli to visit Hadrian's Villa on Wednesday.  Hadrian was a Roman Emporer who also happened to be a real Egyptophile.  This villa was where he came to relax and get away from the stress and strain of ruling the Empire. 

Now I'm in Eugene, Oregon.  I'm staying with a very nice family who live a block away from the local UCC Church, a few blocks away from the University library, and not far from the house of the composition professor I'm working with.  Pretty nice!

It's taken a little effort on my part to get back into "sabbatical mode" and get to work on my compositions, but things are coming together.  I had my first meeting with Hal Owen, the composition professor, this morning and that went very well.  Today we worked on two compositions that are fairly far along in the process: Ode 16 and Ode 34 from the Odes of Solomon.  The texts from the Gospel of Thomas, the Gospel of Truth and maybe the Gospel of Mary are proving to be a lot more of a challenge.  I have another session with him scheduled for Friday.

Well, there you have it.  I will send another update next week.  It won't be long until I'll be driving back home to California.  I look forward to seeing you all in a few weeks.  Take care,

Rick

Rick's Roamings and Ramblings #8
Date: Thu May 19, 2005

I am now in Castellammare di Stabia, which is on the southern portion of the bay of Naples, but first, let me bring you up to speed.

Last week, on Thursday, I took a marvelous day trip to the charming hill town of Orvieto.  It was a day for renewal and relaxation in the countryside without any specific agenda.  The day was sunny and cool, very peaceful and thoroughly enjoyable; the exact opposite of the train ride back to Rome, but that's another story.

Friday was a day to study, write, and do laundry.  Saturday was my last day in Rome and I spent it walking all over the place taking a few last pictures of sites I had seen but hadn't photographed, and doing a ritual "farewell walk" past some of my favorite places like the Pantheon, Piazza Navona, etc.

On Sunday I picked up my rental car and drove to Castellammare di Stabia, which is no small feat since getting out of Rome without a navigator is like finding the proverbial needle in a hay stack!  But somehow I managed to get to my lodging in Castellammare di Stabia.  The accommodations here are a combination of Motel 6 meets "Animal House" but the view from my dorm-room window is absolutely breath-taking.  The people here don't speak English, so communication is always a challenge, but somehow we're able to get by.

Monday was a day for the record books. I think that the greatest achievement of my sabbatical may be the fact that I can now say, "I survived Monday, May 16th!"  

The day began with the foolhardy idea of driving into Naples to go to the Archaeological Museum.  Other more sensible folk have the intelligence to use public transportation rather than trying to drive, since Naples is one of the most densely packed population centers in the universe.  The drive in was a nightmare of congestion, no visible street signs, and complete disregard for traffic laws.  It seems that here in Italy a red light is merely a suggestion.

After driving through hell and half of Naples, and fraying more nerves than I thought I had, I decided to pack-it-up and drive back to Casstellammare di Stabia.  I then looked up at the nearest building to discover that I had found the place I was looking for and was able to secure a parking spot!  When I got to the museum I was pleasantly surprised to learn that today was a free-admission day.  (Somewhere there is a guardian angel I owe big time!)

The Archaeological Museum in Naples is one museum that is well worth the hassle to get to.  In addition to some impressive Greek statues, it also has on display many of the paintings, mosaics and statues discovered at Pompeii and Herculaneum.  It also displays a few recreations of some of the rooms in Pompeii, illustrating what they might have looked like two thousand years ago when they were being lived in (see photo of Pompeii triclinium).

After the museum and an over-priced lunch, I had the unmitigated gall to attempt to drive back out of Naples.  I eventually found the Autostrada and my way over to Herculaneum.  Herculaneum is one of the ancient Roman cities that were buried in the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 CE.  It has only recently been excavated and brought back to life as a fairly well-preserved example of an ancient Roman city.

This time I didn't want a guide or even a guide book, just the time to wander around this place and try to imagine what life here might have been like in the first century CE.  It's a one-sided picture, however, because Herculaneum was predominately a city of villas for the wealthy elite.  All in all, it was a great afternoon, a fascinating site, and time well spent.

Upon getting back to my car I was unpleasantly surprised to find that the battery was dead and the car would not start. The headache I had, which had been brewing since late morning, was now reaching "Vesuvian" proportions!  Thank God for the car rental road assistance service.  After about an hour a tow-truck showed up to jump start my car and I made it back to my dorm room by 7 PM.  Weary, frazzled, and eager to get to the Ibuprofen, I returned to my room grateful that I had survived this day!

On Tuesday I really needed a day to just walk in the woods and clear my mind.  Very close to where I am staying is a tram that will take you up to the top of Mt. Faito, roughly a mile above sea level.  It was a gorgeous day, with very few people around, and I hiked for several hours, listening to birdsong and enjoying the scenery and the fresh mountain air.  AHHH!

Yesterday, Wednesday the 18th, I visited Pompeii, perhaps the most well known of the ancient Roman cities buried in the 79 eruption.  Walking the streets one really does get a sense of an ancient city frozen in time.  On display there, too, were some of the casts that were made of the victims of Mt. Vesuvius.  One of them was especially heartbreaking to see.

Unlike Herculaneum, which was a resort town for the rich and famous, Pompeii was a lively, working city with all types of folks living in it.  There were enough Egyptians living here that there was a temple dedicated to Isis (see photo).  Scholars also believe there was a synagogue here in Pompeii, though they haven't found it yet.  (Much like the street signs in Naples.)

After visiting several of these sites now I'm beginning to get a sense of just how stratified Roman society was; how luxurious it was for the rich and how miserable it was for the poor.  The layout of Roman cities is also rather predictable, and while they were great builders, architects and engineers, most of their artwork consisted of copying Greek, sometimes Egyptian, works of art.

Well that's it for now.  Hope all is going well for you.  I can't believe that I only have one more week here in Italy.  Take care,

Ciao!

Rick

Rick's Roamings and Ramblings #7
Date: Wed May 11, 2005

Well it's been another glorious week in Rome.  This is a really wonderful place to do a sabbatical!

Last Wednesday, May 4, I began the day with an audience with the new pope.  I didn't get close enough to be able to ask him about his thoughts and intentions regarding liberation theology, the intellectual freedom of clergy and laypeople in the church, the role of women in the church, or the future of the Roman Church in the post-modern world, but I did get to see quite a spetacle!  It would have made a Roman Emporer proud.

Afterwards I toured the Vatican Museum which is one of the most impressive museums I've ever been in.  The artwork, which is everywhere, is absolutely exquisite.  It was pretty crowded, and I often got the feeling that "Big Brother" was watching.  The guards there are as stern as they are unhelpfull.

I was somewhat surprised by my reaction at seeing the Sistine Chapel.  Michelangelo's paintings on the ceiling are regarded by many as being the greatest piece of art ever created by a single individual.  The effect is awe-inspiring, yet it felt busy and chaotic.  It was difficult for me to remember that this was supposed to be a church.  It just didn't feel as spiritual as I was expecting.

Next was a walk through St. Peter's Basilica.  Again I had the feeling that while it was impressive and awe-inspiring, it left me feeling cold. The one moment of depth and feeling came when I walked over to the side and saw Michelangelo's Pieta.  It's a sculpture of Mary cradling the crucified and now dead Jesus.  It is a profound expression of the indescribable emotions Mary must have felt at the death of her son.  And it was a poignient reminder of one of life's most painfull experiences.  I thought of all those in our midst who have experienced such a loss.  You were in my prayers that day.

The following day was a holiday celebrating the ascension of Christ and since many places here were closed that day I used it as a day to read, study, and wander over around the Pantheon again.

On Friday, May 6, I visited the church of Santa Cecilia in the morning.  Today St. Cecilia is considerd the patron saint of musicians and singers but in her own time she was a Christian convert from a wealthy family who was condemned and ultimately killed by the Roman authorities because of her faith.  Cecilia bequeathed her house to the neighborhood community and it became a house church upon which the current church was later built. While the original church goes back to the third century, the current building was built in the ninth century and extensively renovateddin the 18th century.

It struck me as I sat there in the church how beneath all the magnificent artwork and ornate splendor of the buildings lie the stories of real people and real communities of faith that met together for prayer, celebration, mutual support and encouragement during difficult and often dangerous times.

The afternoon was spent on a Scala Reale tour of "Classical Rome."  It was a very interesting walk around many of the lesser known historical sites that are littered throughout the city.

The next day I headed out to walk the Appian Way (a portion of it, at least).  This was one of the main roads leading into Rome, although in ancient times all roads led to Rome.  There isn't much left to see there now, but it was a relaxing and enjoyable afternoon walk away from the crowds.

On Sunday, May 8, I went to worship at an Episcopal Church here in Rome.  It was so nice to go to a worship service in English!  I think it's been about 6 weeks since I've worshipped in a language I could understand.  The evening was spent attending a concert featuring a piano trio by Schubert performed by three young women who did a marvelous job.

Monday was a very full day beginning with a visit to the Coloseum.  WOW!  I could have spent the whole day here.  Next was a trip to the Basilica of St. Peter-in-chains, founded in 440 CE, which contains two sets of chains, each of which allegedly shackled Peter on two different imprisonments.  The church also houses Michelangelo's Moses statue which, unfortunately, is rather poorly displayed.

Then it was on to visit the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore which is another of Rome's oldest churches (432 CE) and contains some beautiful 5th century mosaics.  It also houses an urn which contains several pieces of wood alleged to be from Jesus' crib.  If you're into relics, this place is paradise!

The day ended with a walk through Palatine Hill.  Here you see ruins, not too well-preserved, of the Emporer's palace.  One does get a sense here of the peace and tranquility in the midst of the hustle and bustle of the city which is proabably an authentic aspect of what an ancient Roman palace would have felt like.  You can also enjoy a fabulous view overlooking the Roman Forum.  The museum here contains some interesting artifacts and art including a beautiful frescoe of a musician playing what looks like a harp, and a headless statue of "Magna Mater" (the Great Mother) on her throne.

On Tuesday I took a Scala Reale tour of Ostia Antica, the ancient sea port that linked Rome to the Mediterranean Sea.  The ruins here are remarkably well preserved and one can get a sense of an ancient Roman city while walking through them.  Included among the ruins are some interesting mosaic floors, wall fresoces (as in the picture of the charioteer and horses) and the ruins of an ancient church (see photo).  We got into a lively discussion of how strongly ancient paganism influenced the Roman Church, not only in the ongoing celebration of so many pagan holidays and feast days, but also in the modern-day veneration of Saints.  My tour guide said that Italian Catholics are a lot more pagan than they are usually willing to admit.  But isn't that true of all Christians?

The afternoon was spent in front of a computer screen laboriously uploading photos accumulated over the past two weeks to send home.  These are, or soon will be, on the chapel website.  I can't believe that my time in Italy is half gone already and I'll soon be picking up my rental care to brave the Italian roadways and travel down to the Bay of Naples.  Please pray for a safe drive and a quiet Vesuvius.

Your partner in our shared ministry,

Rick

Rick's Roamings and Ramblings #6
Date: Fri May 3, 2005

Wow, Rome is fantastic! Compared to Egypt, Rome is quiet and serene! The days are just flying by here.

My first day in Rome I walked around the neighborhood and wandered over to the Pantheon. An incredible building which was built by Hadrian and dedicated as a temple to all (pan) the gods (theos). It later became a Christian Church and was rededicated to all the martyrs. Interesting how religions keep usurping one another!

The next day I went on a tour of "Underground Rome" that featured the Church of St. John and St. Paul, the Church of San Clement, and Nero's Golden Palace. The first two churches were each built on top of earlier churches that were themselves built on top of even earlier layers. Also toured Trajan's Forum and Marketplace.

The next day I was able to get to a piano and spend a few hours composing. I really hope I can find more such opportunites and not leave it all for the last three weeks in Oregon.

The following day I toured the Roman Forum. Despite the fact that most of it is ruins there is enough left to give one a feeling for what it must have been like in the first few centuries CE. The arch of Titus was there, too. This is a monument commemorating the triumph of Rome over Judea in 70 CE. One of the panels depicts the treasures of the Jerusalem Temple being taken to Rome, along with thousands of people who were now Roman slaves. It's a poignient reminder that all these impressive statues and monuments were really political propaganda and communicated a message about imperial power and domination.

Later that evening I attended a marvelous concert of choral music featuring Palestrina's Mass for 4 voices. It was heavenly.

The next day I visited the Church of Santa Maria in Trastevere. This was built upon an early church, the first to be dedicated to Mary, the mother of Jesus. It has an exquisite mosaic behind and above the altar that depicts Jesus with his arm around his mother. It is the earliest image which depicts Mary sharing the throne with Christ.

Later that evening I attended a really remarkable concert by Patti Monson, flautist. She played an all contemporary program and several of the composers were in attendance. All of the pieces made extensive use of what is called "extended technique," which is to say there were a lot of sounds coming out of that flute that most people have never heard before. It was very exciting.

Well, I think that brings you up to speed with my travels. I am finding it easier to relax here and the place where I'm staying, Casa di Santa Brigida, is wonderful. Hope all is going well on your journeys.

Caio!

Rick