Not sure what happened to Peter and Mary...

But today I met Paul.

I was probably ten years old, when public television introduced me to the amazing music of Peter, Paul, and Mary. I distinctly remember, it was the Christmas special, and I loved - LOVED - the song about the toy that went spt, bloop, and whirrrrrr. I think my parents thought I was mad.

In high school, I had a summer camp counselor who sang every afternoon under the pine tree. It was there I learned the songs of the Beatles, the Indigo Girls, and Peter, Paul, and Mary. It was sort of like a hippie commune for middle class white folks. (Oh wait, hippies are middle class white folks trying desperately not to be middle class white folks). At any rate, the music held such power for me, and it still does.

Paul Stookey is an artist-in-residence this semester at Wesley, and his cousin, Larry, is my advisor. I'll be interested in seeing how this amazing talent weaves his words and music into the spiritual life of a seminary.