December 9, 2012
The Sheltering Arms Orphanage sponsored by the Episcopal Church stood where the Becketwood Cooperative is situated. On the orphanage campus a small chapel still stands with a 1922 dedication cornerstone. Restored by Becketwood Cooperative it serves as place for Wednesday vesper worship. Members of various religious persuasion are welcome to conduct the service. Vespers last week was conducted by a fellow Becketwood retired navy chaplain. His Advent theme was a discourse on HOPE. This suggested posting for Advent Season using a six year old granddaughter, Lucia’s, use of the word HOPE. A note I sent to the homilist, a good Becketwood Mancave friend follows. It underscores the Advent theme of HOPE.
“Wonderful to be uplifted by your Advent grace-filled homily. Beautifully biblically oriented. HOPE – let me share what my six year old grandchild caboose among thirteenth grandchildren shared with her grandpa. There is the Fred and Ruth Bartling Scholarship Endowment at Concordia University. Two years in existence the first scholarship was awarded to a worthy student in October. Lucia’s mother was fundamental in helping make the scholarship a success. At Thanksgiving we were with Lucia’s family in Syracuse. Discussing with my daughter the scholarship endowment Lucia overheard the conversation. Lucia obviously knows the full background to this. She quietly went upstairs and returning presented her grandfather a crisp $20 bill. Not eager to accept her gift, her nest egg, her mother’s look told me this should be graciously accepted. A brief time later Lucia disappeared and returned handing me another two single dollar bills. The enclosed note she gave me is attached”. Her note read:
I hope your
scolership (sic)
To: grandpa
from. Lucia
HOPE – Advent is preparation for celebrating the Nativity. It is here we rest our HOPE and wondrous salvation through grace incarnate. “The Word was made flesh and dwelt amongst us”. We can travel with Lucia the shepherd’s path hastening to Bethlehem’s manger.
The Bartling Scholarship 