Ulloa's Rings and the Transfiguration

Mark 9:2 And after six days Jesus taketh with him Peter, and James, and John, and leadeth them up into an high mountain apart by themselves: and he was transfigured before them. And his raiment became shining, white as snow.

We began our hike of the Adirondack Mountains around 4 AM with the lofty goal to ascend six of the high peaks in one day (we succeeded, BTW). The sun rose early and the sky was clear and blue, however there were still clouds of fog surrounding the higher elevations of the mountainous peaks.  We reached the summit of Phelps mountain in no time where I witnessed a meteorological illusion of white luminous rings surrounding a tree which was off in the distance.  It was haunting and beautiful.

When we reached the summit of Mount Marcy we encountered the summit steward and told her about the apparition we saw. She said it was Ulloa’s ring, named after a Spanish naval officer, Ulloa. The rings are very rare. When conditions are just right and where there is a certain amount of moisture in the air,  sunlight, and the position between the object and the viewer are are at certain angles, the rings appear.

From "An Introduction to Meteorological Optics," - His name is also recalled as the meteorological term Ulloa's halo (also known as Bouguer's halo), which an observer may see infrequently in fog when sun breaks through (for example, on a mountain) — effectively a "fog-bow" (as opposed to a "rain-bow"). A fog-bow is defined as "an infrequently observed meteorological phenomenon; a faint white, circular arc or complete ring of light that has a radius of 39 degrees and is centered on the antisolar point. When observed, it is usually in the form of a separate outer ring around an anticorona."

After doing a little research I learned  that this phenomenon has been seen all over the world, usually in mountainous regions and it has had many names:  Ulloa’s ring, Ulloa’s halo, Bouguer’s halo, glories, white rainbow, fogbow and Spectre of the Brocken; among dozens of scientific terms.

Several years ago on Transfiguration Sunday I told my story to Leonard, the priest at my church, and he became incensed, refusing to hear my testimony. He said that he won't listen to anything which tries to explain or diminish the mystical or holiness of Jesus. I told him that this was not an attempt to diminish what happened on the mountain that day with Peter, James, and John, but to show that the testimony found in Scripture about the sudden emanation of radiance surrounding Jesus was true, accurate, and possible.  He would have none of it.

So, whether you believe in Jesus or not, whether you believe that science and religion can exist together, whether you think that the transfiguration story is based upon fact or magic, believe this - a person can glow dazzlingly white early in the morning on a mountain top.  Meet me at four a.m.

-Malcolm Kogut.

The Toast Blues

Malcolm Kogut playing the blues with singing chef, Byron Nilsson.

Theme from Phantom

Happy Valentine's Day

A sampler compilation of wedding music from the group Polkstra.  From their "I Do" album. 

Stations of the Cross

One of my favorite seasons of the church year is Lent and one of my most favorite devotions is/are the stations of the cross. In the various churches I have served I have organized dozens of living stations of the cross services utilizing between 40 - 60 participants serving as actors, readers, musicians and writers.  During the next forty days I will occasionally blog a meditation from many of those various presentations.

The First Station; Jesus is Condemned to Death

Fearing for uprisings,  the government made it a law that no person shall proclaim to be the Messiah. Jesus broke that law, was arrested, accused, tried, judged, and executed. Many people today would perceive that law as an injustice but, it was the law of the day. Jesus took seriously the mission described in Isaiah: "The Spirit of the Lord has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor, to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free." Injustice or not, Jesus broke the law and for proclaiming the kingdom that challenges the order of society and, in order to protect that current society and its powers, Jesus had to die.

Jesus stood all alone before Pilate.  His friends and followers abandoned him.  Nobody spoke up for him. Nobody helped defend him. He devoted his entire life to helping others, listening to the most hated of society and caring for those who were ignored by others. Nobody seemed to remember that as they prepared to put him to death.  No good deed goes unpunished. 

Sometimes we feel abandoned and afraid. Sometimes we may feel like we are treated unfairly or blamed for things we haven’t done. We have a hard time when people criticize us at home or at work.  Alternatively, we sometimes put other people down or mock them because they are different. We do this to fellow students and fellow workers, family members we know who will forgive us, to people from different cultures or different nationalities. We do this to people we don't like or are afraid of or feel superior to or threatened by.

For comfort and purposes of good health I spend 98% of my time barefoot. I like to feel on the bottom of my feet the cool and the warmth, the sharp and the round, the smooth and the rough. From a lifetime of walking barefoot I feel at one with the ground. When God called Moses to be a prophet he said to him, "Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground." Wherever we stand, it is holy ground. The blood of the poor, the condemned, the accused, the hatred, the different, the lost, the abandoned, the forsaken, the homeless and the oppressed, has seeped into the soil beneath all our feet. This is holy ground. Without shoes our feet can feel the sharp pain from pieces of broken dreams hidden in the dirt on the ground where we stand. Our feet will kick up the dust of our past mistakes and condemnations of others. Only when we remove the feel good masking comfort of our thick soled shoes will we become one with the holy ground and everything which makes it holy (a friend of mine puts a silver dollar coin in her shoe during Lent to remind her of holy ground with each step she takes).

Almighty God, whose most dear Son suffered pain and was crucified, mercifully grant that we, walking in the way of the cross on your holy ground, may find it none other than the way of life, healing and peace; through Jesus Christ you Son our Lord.  Amen

"Well, the earth is the Lord’s
and the fullness thereof
From the waters beneath
To the heavens above, so...
Take, Take off your shoes
You’re standing on my holy ground
You’re standing on my holy ground"
-Jim Manley.

Marcy Lake and Dam

After a brief one hour hike from the Adirondack Loj and its attendant parking lot, many hikers will stumble upon Marcy Lake.  Marcy Lake's dam was destroyed by Hurricane Irene and now the once beautiful lake is gone.  I heard that because of National Park zoning laws, the dam can not be rebuilt but that is nothing a few beavers can't rectify.  Here are before and after photos including a poem I wrote long ago.

Marcy Lake; Come Sit With Me

Full of quiet sunshine
light of the blessed sphere
Marcy Lake flecks opaline
devoid from earthly cares

Holy quiet steeps the forest
surrounded by warmth and beauty
where healing quiet and consoling rest
is this sunlit temple’s only duty

I hear a wondrous whisper
through the heavenly quiet
while those with lofty summit aspirations
unfortunately pass by it

Beside the quiet rippling stream
I find an inner peace and calm
where softly sings the dulcet breeze
the sweet hushed cadence of nature’s psalm

A fleet of ducks intent on feeding
dart and bob for quagmire feast
the water on their pinions beading
from antic movements in caprice

This sweet and peaceful rural scene
where natures architectural play
from God, pulsates eternity
in awesome mountainous display

It need not be a church pew
for nature reflects all deity
to have communion with the hills
come, feel His presence, sit with me

-Malcolm Kogut.

KOKOPELLI

When archeologists first discovered the multitude of cave paintings in southwestern United States, they somehow determined that the image was of a god and this god depicted in the crude drawings was the Native American god, Kokopelli.  Since Kokopelli was carrying a flute, he was deemed to be the god of music.  Others said that he was doing a rain dance so he must be the god of agriculture.  Some surmised that the item Kokopelli was holding was not a flute but actually a blow gun, so, he is the god of hunt.  Many saw the item in his hand as a spear, so, that made him the god of war.  Entomologists said that the picture is actually a crude drawing of an insect.  Then, it was discerned that the thing in his mouth was actually a phallus so he must be the god of fertility.  Frankly, I don't really see how you can get pregnant that way but I don't have a PhD in Archeology.  Finally the archeologists approached the Native Americans, or Indians as many like to call them, and the native chiefs said, "Koko-who?" 

That story kind of makes you wonder how much our world religions may have misinterpreted their history, traditions and scripture. 

Kokopelli in current pop culture is typically depicted in cartoon format with a hunchback, long protrusions from the head-possibly feathers, and a flute. As I mentioned earlier, in ancient depictions it was described as a large phallus, though this feature is absent from most modern versions, as Spanish Christian missionaries in the colonial period discouraged it. Modern images of Kokopelli simply portray the god dancing and playing his flute.  In the consumer world Kokopelli usually appears as a carved, painted, or drawn silhouette and is very popular on clothing, pop art, kitsch and greeting cards.  He has proved to be very lucrative. 

Kokopelli is somewhat of a trickster figure so young and unmarried women would often fear or, invoke him, as he is said to cause pregnancy.  It is rummored that  Kokopelli is able to detach his phallus and leave it in bathing areas in order to secretly impregnate girls.  Maybe virgin birth is not that uncommon in other religions, although, I've read that the word "virgin" in days of old meant someone who was not married, not necessarily that they have not had sexual relations.  But, I don't have a PhD in First Century Middle Eastern Culture.

In some tellings, Kokopelli’s hunchback is actually a sack filled with seeds and babies. In general, Kokopelli is a positive figure who brings abundance and enjoyment of life to his followers.  

Lately, while lounging in my pool, I have noticed that I appear to be putting on weight . . . Oh Kokopelli, you trickster . . .