From the Parish Mailbox

The following note arrived after the Royal School of Church Music held a week-long program in Raleigh during July. Dr. Quinn was one of five 'House Masters' for the group of 60 girls and adults who participated in the program.

25 July, 2004

Dear Father Elkins-Williams,

I would like to thank you and the good people of the Chapel of the Cross for the overwhelmingly hospitable welcome you gave the RSCM last week. Thank you, also, for lending us Dr. Quinn for the week. Your efforts were certainly not in vain, and the participants and staff would all concur! Thank you for this warm reception of the RSCM.

Sincerely,

Charles Hogan

"Trail Notes" from the Rev. David Frazelle as he hikes the Appalachian Trail. David will join the Chapel of the Cross staff in December as Associate for Parish Ministry.

14 July, 2004

Dear People of the Chapel of the Cross,

Greetings from Maine! As some of you know, I am in the midst of a journey from Maine to Georgia along the Appalachian Trail. At this point, I have hiked over 200 miles and am near the New Hampshire border. The trail in Maine has been wild. Severe and erratic elevation changes and difficult rock and root footing have been its chief characteristics. Moose, bear, deer, snakes, frogs, toads, colorful mushrooms, loons, insectivorous plants, wildflowers, moss, waterfalls, lakes, mosquitoes, black flies, and no-see-ums abound, the latter three presenting the vast majority of wildlife difficulties.

New Hampshire, with its famous boulder scrambles and vast ridges above tree-line, is reportedly the second most physically taxing state, next to Maine. My body is looking forward to friendlier terrain in Vermont. As I write to you, I am icing a mildly sprained ankle and taking antibiotics for a not-so-mildly infected toe. The doctor in Rangely instructed me to ice and elevate the ankle and to soak the toe in warm water, which presents some logistical challenges given that both are attached to the same foot.

Walking and living amidst immense natural beauty and power has increased my awareness of my own finitude and of the magnitude of God's mercy. Unexpected encounters of the human, animal and cumulo-nimbific kind have forced me to relinquish control over my environment and to rely on God for a sense of safety. The scarcity of people on the trail has forced me to rely on God for my sense of identity. The injuries have forced me to slow down and stop pushing myself so hard all the time. Pushing myself is too often my standard operating mode in daily life, and I am learning how much I love life when I return to a human tempo.

The most difficult feature of this journey has been the combination of missing my wife terribly (which I expected) and the dearth of hikers in Maine (which I did not expect for the month of June). As I mentioned before, however, God seems to be using even these difficulties to achieve his purposes. As St. Paul said, all things work together for good for those who love God. Nonetheless, I look forward to a close friend from Chapel Hill and Sewanee joining me in a few days for the White Mountains of New Hampshire, and to Emily, my wife, visiting in Vermont.

I also look forward with joyous anticipation to serving you beginning this December.

With my prayers for God's blessing upon you and with my warmest trail wishes,

David