Vespers July 25 - The River

The Vespers topic for July 25 is the James River.

After numerous reports and studies on the foam in the James River, I decided to make the river a theme for our contemplative Vespers service. I recently performed a wedding ceremony on a large rock jutting into the river. The groom arrived by canoe. The wedding party was mostly barefoot. The music of the ceremony was the splashing and rushing of the river past us. It was a beautiful day that renewed my affection, admiration, and wonder concerning the river.

For the Vespers service readings are from T.S. Eliot, Henry David Thoreau, and our own church member Ann Woodlief. We will contemplate the themes of the river's solitude, power, history, ecosystem, and beauty.

Musical interludes are from the solo recordings of Thelonious Monk.