2011 Avanti Awards - Eliot Erlandson - Summa Cum Laude!

Two years ago, I blogged about my son Eliot's Magna Cum Laude award in the 2009 Avanti Awards.  The Avanti Awards is a competition for young automotive designers.  It is conducted under the auspices of Stellar Scholars (see link for more information).

In some years (such as in 2009) the Avanti Awards is an open competition.  In other years, students who have shown aptitude in automotive design are selected and commissioned to produce a new design.  The designs are to capture the spirit and some of the essence of the Studebaker Avanti, which was an incredible, forward-thinking automobile which premiered in the 1963 model year.

For 2011, my son Eliot Erlandson was offered the Avanti Awards commission, and he accepted eagerly and gratefully.  After his best efforts were turned in, a "star committee" of automotive enthusiasts rated his design in terms of rendering, practicality and function, and originality.  The level of the award is determined by the committee members' ratings.

I am pleased to announce that Eliot's design won the Summa Cum Laude award for the 2011 Avanti Awards!  Here is the write-up at the Stellar Scholars site (click on "Avanti Awards", then scroll to the bottom), and here is the announcment on the Avanti website.

Here are the three views of the design which Eliot submitted.

(background photo credit:  Philip Dattilo)

A brief awards ceremony was held at the Henry Ford Centennial Library in Dearborn.  Ms. Patricia Emery (Stellar Scholars Co-Chair) made the presentation.  The trophy is truly a thing of beauty, and Eliot will treasure it for a lifetime.

Our Visit to St. Gabriel's Anglican Church, Springdale, Arkansas!

On April 3, 2011, the family and I made a visit to St. Gabriel's Anglican Church in Springdale, Arkansas. It was Rose Sunday.

I had been a FaceBook friend of the Rector, Fr. John Slavin, for some time, and was glad of the chance to finally meet him in person, as well as to worship at St. Gabriel's.

We dragged the kids out with us for the 9:00 am Adult Education class. It was a great class, nominally centered around a particular icon (the Hodegetria), but with a rich survey of background information including a review of the 5 historic Patriarchal sees (Jerusalem, Constantinople, Antioch, Rome, and Alexandria) and four levels of religion (belief, faith, experience, and transformation). Other interesting points of early church history were brought forward as well. The class was well attended. In my roamings through Anglicanism over the years, I have noticed that a healthy, vibrant Adult Ed program (that is actually attended!) goes hand in hand with robust worship.

Everything about the Holy Communion service was lovely. 1928 BCP, the Hymnal 1940, no funny stuff added, nothing subtracted. I particularly liked the Processional (Jesus, lover of my soul - #415) and Recessional (Lord, who throughout these forty days - #59) hymns!

I hate to harp on this point, but I really appreciate that the service wasn't interrupted by the all-too-common "Seventh Inning Stretch" (by which I mean the Passing of the Peace).  There was plenty of time for me and the family to shake hands with everyone after the service.

I was also very glad that incense was used during the service.  It made me feel right at home.

One thing that seems so simple gave Cindy and me particular joy: All of the readings were read, including the Old Testament lesson, which is not done everywhere.

The worship space was very attractive, and tastefully decorated:

Fr. John's sermon was very lively, to say the least.  Fr. John is a very dynamic person, and a very energetic speaker.  I thought to myself how he had pulled off the impossible:  a Baptist-length sermon delivered in only the time of a typical Anglican homily.  Winning!

The sermon focused on Ephesians 5 and, other than being a bit too personally convicting to me at parts, was great.  Fr. John explained some wrong ways (and then the right way) to look at St. Paul's commands, such as the edict to not associate with unbelievers.

As Providence would have it, we attended on a day when a potluck meal was scheduled after the service, and so we stayed for that, and were thankful for a great meal.  Finally, Fr. John took the time to show me around the grounds.  As he did so, he gave me some of the history of the parish and of his own involvement with it.  This is a cool little chapel they have out back, which has 24-hour access via a keypad on the door.

One thing more needs to be said, and to me it was perhaps the most encouraging thing about the entire visit:  There were plenty of young kids at this parish!  There is much reason to be hopeful for the future!  God is at work at St. Gabriel's.

Bible in Miniature - the Christian Kitsch Art of Flo Boatright

This is the kind of thing you cannot (until now) find by staring into your computer screen.  You have to go out into the vast, wind torn center of Route 66 America to find this stuff.  The artist, Flo Boatright, apparently made her way through life without herself or her art being recorded anywhere on the internet.  Even the museum where we found her art could not find unstained hard copies of these little booklets about her.

Let me say at the outset something that still startles me about this great kitsch art:  these pieces are intended to be Christmas tree ornaments!  It is fun to imagine some young children taking a look around the artist's Christmas tree, and finding this macabre collection.

Little of it seems to have to do with Christmas.

This is always good advice:

Either Flo Boatright was fixated on death, or else maybe the Bible is:

I think that must be Saul of Tarsus at right, consenting to St. Stephen's death: 

Perhaps someone can clue me in as to why a bottle of champagne is a symbol for Moses the lawgiver?

Here are a few more favorites of mine:

The dog licking the sores of Lazarus is a nice touch.

Pink Elephant Antiques - Livingston, Illinois

We happened on this place by accident, while making the return trip to Detroit from a family vacation to Oklahoma.  We only found Pink Elephant Antiques because we missed the turn onto I-70 East, and remained longer than intended on I-55 North.  It is about 35 miles northeast of St. Louis.

When I saw the giant "Muffler Man" in the same lot as a green flying saucer, I knew we had to stop and take a look.  Unfortunately, we arrived after the main building was closed.  So, all I have to share with is photos of the outdoor attractions:

Also, if anyone is planning to make the pilgrimage to this place, PLEASE set aside at least an extra hour to look through the beautiful vintage cars at Country Classic Cars!  It is just 4 miles up the road from Pink Elephant Antiques.

The Figurehead

Here is another poem I wrote.  This was for my wife; I wrote it in 2007.


The Figurehead

I am my true love's head, but she the neck:
The crown of Christ's authority I wear.
But she, by will or whimsy, doth direct
All motions of the crown, the head, the hair.

That God created man a quadruped,
Beloved brother Gilbert taught us well!
But which shall be the tail, and which the head?
And how to steer this monster, who can tell?

To all her wifely wisdom, I submit.
But, is such abdication not unjust?
How so, if I employ her sense and wit?
If in my love my heart doth safely trust?

May God, by Whose great wisdom we were wed,
Have mercy upon me, a figurehead.

© 2007, Paul W. Erlandson

A Winter's Eucharist (London, 1990)

It always annoys me when I recall a poem of mine, and Google it only to find that it is posted nowhere on the internet.  So, I will be posting some of these "missing" poems here, in order that I'll be able to find them more easily should I ever decide to publish my first volume of poetry.

This one is from 1993, about my trip to St. Paul's, London, in 1990.  A word about the unique form.  It is the invention of my Anglican friend Russ Smith.  The form requires 80 syllables in total.  It is first written as ten lines eight syllables, and then as eight lines of ten syllables, and each pair of consecutive lines must rhyme in each presentation.  Trickier than you might think!


A Winter's Eucharist (London, 1990)

A winter's Eucharist I took

At noon, with Cranmer's little book

My fork and spoon to eat the bread

Of heaven as we sung and read,

The blood of Jesus on my tongue.

St. Paul's Cathedral round me rung

With late echoes of Donne and Wren.

How very great our God is then

Who on His wise wheel spun the sun,

As well as Messrs. Wren and Donne!

A winter's Eucharist I took at noon, 

With Cranmer's little book my fork and spoon 

To eat the bread of heaven as we sung  --

(And red the blood of Jesus on my tongue).

St. Paul's Cathedral round me rung with late

Echoes of Donne and Wren.  How very great

Our God is then who on His wise wheel spun 

The sun, as well as Messrs. Wren and Donne!

 © 1993, Paul Erlandson

Christ Church Anglican Revisited.

Last year, while making my annual pilgrimage to the Arnold Sports Festival, I discovered a really cool Anglican parish in Columbus, Ohio.  I blogged about it here.

This year, I was able to attend two Holy Communion services at Christ Church Anglican, one on Saturday evening, and the main one on Sunday morning. 

Several friends had asked me, after I posted last year's blog, what a "Contemporary 1928 BCP" service was.  I told them that I didn't know, but I now have the answer to that.

As walked up the sidewalk to the church door on Saturday afternoon, my heart was heavy.  I always try to invite my fellow bodybuilding fans to church, and nobody ever shows any interest.  It makes me sad that so few people in the world seem to truly love church.  I love it so much that it puzzles me how others cannot like it at all.  It seems a burden to them.  Perhaps that is because they are not Anglicans; since I have been Anglican, I love church so much that I would attend even if I ceased to believe in God.  So, anyway, I was a bit sad and lonely as I walked up to the church door.

As I opened the door, however, my heart was lifted straight up into heaven, by the sheer smell of the place.  I love a church that actually smells the way a church is supposed to smell!  Inside, I met Doug, the music minister for the contemporary service.  Then, once in my pew, I met Shaun.  In a breach of Anglican etiquette, Shaun and I chatted before the service started.  I found out that he was from a town in Michigan half an hour's drive from my home.  I also found that we had a mutual friend in Fr. Robert Kerr.

The music used throughout the service was very reminiscent of that used at my local AMiA parish, so was not really my cup of tea.  I commented afterwards that it was a bit like being at a Counting Crows concert.  But, of course, I love the Counting Crows, so it is all good.  Rather than be my usual Music Snob self, I humbled myself and entered into the singing with all my heart, an act of will which God immediately rewarded.  I felt my soul transported again into the presence of God.  The service was a full 1928 BCP Holy Communion liturgy, except that the language was modernized (which thing I abominate, as you can probably guess).  No "thee", "thou", or "thine".  No "vouchsafe".  And "people" instead of "men".  I stumbled badly at several points.  Any time, in fact, that I started to go from memory instead of reading the page.  I found this, frankly, to be very distracting.

I had a good talk with several parishioners and the priest afterwards, and I hope to attend this service again during the 2012 Arnold.

Sunday morning, I arrived at church early, hoping to capture some photographs of the building beyond what I'd taken last year.  Alas, I had left my camera battery in the charger back in my room.  So, no new pictures this year.

The 10:00 am was fairly well attended, considering that there had been an unexpected overnight snow in Columbus.  For the number of parishioners, and the size of the building, the singing was very strong, filling the worship space nicely.  Unfortunately, my own singing was not very good, as I was suffering the last phase of a head cold.  The hymns we sung were interesting.  All were from the Hymnal 1940, but I was not very familiar with most of them.  It made a nice change from singing the familiar ones over and over again.  There was also a very fine Anthem from the choir.

I always give "extra credit" to any parish at which the Passing of the Peace is omitted, and Christ Church got the full amount of the extra credit.

But the one segment of the service which touched me the most was a simple reading of two Collects from very near the back of the 1928 BCP.  They occur on pages 596 and 597, if memory serves.  They were said by the priest just after the Nicene Creed and just before the Sermon Hymn.  They were these:

For Joy in God's Creation.

O HEAVENLY Father, who hast filled the world with beauty; Open, we beseech thee, our eyes to behold thy gracious hand in all thy works; that rejoicing in thy whole creation, we may learn to serve thee with gladness; for the sake of him by whom all things were made, thy Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

For Those We Love.

ALMIGHTY God, we entrust all who are dear to us to thy never-failing care and love, for this life and the life to come; knowing that thou art doing for them better things than we can desire or pray for; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Each of these Collects was like a bullet of love straight through my heart.  Each spoke with incredible precision to a need I had at the moment.  It reminded me once again of the amazing wisdom that is contained in the Book of Common Prayer!  It also reaffirmed my long-standing belief that formal, structured liturgy is no impediment whatever to the Spirit of God.  The Holy Ghost found His target (my heart) with these two arrows!  The first Collect I needed to hear because I have been in a rut (which as an artist occasionally befalls me) of finding beauty only in one certain person I am painting, and not being able to see the beauty in "all thy works".  This prayer is one I've often used to help break out of such an aesthetic bondage.

The second prayer is one that I hardly remember having seen or prayed before, but again it was exactly what my heart needed.  For I have been fretting many months over some friends who are in a hard situation.  I have come to the end of my ability to help them, and have had to yield them over to God's care.  This has been very difficult for me.  But this Collect assures me that God is doing better things for them than I can even think of!  How great is that?

Oh, I almost forgot my other favourite part:  the General Confession.  As Prayer Book Anglicans, we often rush through the liturgy, as if speed were a prime virtue in worship.  Sunday was the slowest I have ever heard a congregation read through the General Confession (same with the Prayer of Thanksgiving on page 83)!  Normally, we cut through the Confession so quickly that phrases like "the burden of them is intolerable" might as well be "two eggs, over easy".  But by slowing down the cadence perhaps 30 to 40 percent, Christ Church Anglican gave me the blessing of feeling, evaluating, embracing, ratifying, and embodying every word and phrase in the Confession.  I cannot tell you how wonderful this felt to me.  I earnestly entreat any Anglican clergyman reading this blog entry to take this challenge:  Slow down the General Confession!  Read it so that it feels almost too slow.  Pause at every punctuation mark.  I have never seen this issue discussed, but it made a night-and-day difference to my worship that morning.

Just as last year, the service was concluded with a beautiful Organ Postlude, which made me wish my wife could have attended.  God willing, she will be there with me next March!