A TIME FOR friends

"Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born."

by Anais Nin

The twenty-year friendship of two priests prominent in the recent history of Christ Church Cathedral, the Rev. J. Pittman McGehee, dean of the Cathedral from 1980 to 1991, and the Rev. John A. Logan, Jr., a canon of the Cathedral under four deans, was celebrated on November 10, 2001, at a brunch benefiting Brigid's Place in the Cathedral's Great Hall.

John preceded Pittman at the Cathedral, served as subdean during his tenure, and is still there as Canon Emeritus. Their reminiscences of the eighties at the Cathedral included the grackles who congregated at night in the trees of the courtyard, the street people, for whom Kay White started Compass, the gypsies who came every year for baptisms, and the Red Pantsuit Story (see below).

Two pulled quotes from their conversation -- Pittman to John: "That decade would have been awful without you." And Bill Barnard, Cathedral organist and choirmaster, to Pittman: "³It's the third Sunday of Easter, not after."² Pittman¹s response: "I prayed God for humility and he sent me you.". . .It was a wonderful time for friends.

For the record, in case November 10 really was the last public telling . . .

The Red Pantsuit Story
(as told by Pittman)

One grand Sunday morning I was the celebrant at both a baptism and at the Eucharist, and as was my wont following the baptism of a baby, I took the baby down the long center aisle to indicate that this child was a child of God and belongs to this community, and that there is a family of God greater than the family of origin, and for the community to greet this new member. I noticed on the right-hand side, about halfway back, a disheveled-looking woman in a red polyester pantsuit. As I went by, she grabbed at the hem of my garment and said, "I am Jesus." Several things occurred to me. The first was that it was the recession in the early eighties in Houston, and I thought what an appropriate time and place for our Lord to return. The second was it would be just like Jesus to come back as a woman -- it was the advent of the feminist consciousness -- but surely, I thought, our Lord has better taste than to wear a red polyester pantsuit. As I came back by the second time, she said again, "I am Jesus." I made a proper bow of reverence, went on up, gave the baby back to the parents, and went into the sanctuary.

Canon Logan was the deacon for the mass, and he was setting the table. As you all know, he was born with a chronic and terminal flat affect. I walked over to him and said, "John, see the woman in the back in the red polyester pantsuit?" John: "Um hm." I said, "She says she's Jesus." John: "Hmm." I went over to wash my hands and put my chasuble on; I came back just before the offertory and said to John, "What if she is?" Canon Logan said, "Look busy."