Zen Monday: #228

I realize the picture is huge. I hope it doesn't take too long to load. I just want to make sure you can read it.

Oh, I love my Monday Zen.

Zen Monday: #227

I'm sorry we skipped our Zen last week. It was New Year's Day, or Halloween or something, and I forgot.

Regarding today's photo, I was bummed that my camera focused on the background instead of the important information about Hell. Then I discovered the neighborhood had been plastered with these bits of litter paper, so we can all find out what we need to know.

 

I don't usually share this much information on Mondays, but I'm anticipating the flood of requests.

Zen Monday: #184

A little refresher, in case this is your first PDP Zen Monday:
Today's the day you tell us what the photo's about, rather than me telling you. Have at it and have fun.

Zen Monday: #171

Zen Monday's the day you experience the photo and give us your thoughts rather than me telling you what I think the picture's about. There's no competition, no right or wrong. We're here to have fun.

I look for something worth contemplating or, failing that, something odd or silly. Or all of the above, if I'm lucky.

Zen Monday: #170

Zen Monday's the day you experience the photo and give us your thoughts rather than me telling you what I think the photo's about. There's no competition, no right or wrong. Just have fun.

I look for a photo worth contemplating or, failing that, something odd or silly. Or all of those things, if I'm lucky.


And, plus, in addition, also: I have a new piece on Patch today.

Zen Monday: #155

Zen Monday is the day you experience the photo and give us your thoughts rather than me telling you what I think the photo's about.

Just share your thoughts in the comments as they come to you. Here at PDP, we accept all breeds screeds creeds.

No Matter What

I took this one some time ago, obviously from the car. (Don't worry, I pulled over.) Today's a fine day to post it.

Westminster Presbyterian Church, at Pasadena's border with Altadena, is a magnificent building. I've been remiss in not posting many, many photos of it. Of course it's the first thing most people photograph in town and because I'm contrary I haven't done so. But you'd think by now...

I have friends who attend Westminster and it seems like a lovely congregation. One of these days I'm going to sneak a peek inside.

Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam

Here at PDP, the New Salem Missionary Baptist Church at 1164 N. Lake Avenue was a major contender for the August theme day of "bright colors." I did not use the saturation tool, no, no. This is the can't-miss color you'll see when you drive by, though the Google photo shows the church hasn't always been dressed in such a festive color.

New Salem Missionary Baptist doesn't have a website, but on an online site it does rate 5 stars out of 6.

Something about rating churches seems odd to me. But it's the 21st century so I'm going with it.

Trade-Off

Work on the Braley Building has finally been completed after four years, during which many Pasadenish lamented the sale of this historic structure to the Church of Scientology and wondered if renovation would ever even begin. Upon purchasing the building, the Church immediately evicted long-standing businesses only to leave the building empty and waiting. Not exactly starting off on the right foot, but outsiders to this institution generally approach with mistrust, so I suspect the wrong foot was the only one to start off with.

Renovations finally began in earnest early this year. I took this shot in mid-May, grabbing a peek while the doors were open to Mercantile Place. It shows the first floor atrium in mid-construction. There, one could once find entry to the Pasadena Antique Mall, and a great little Italian restaurant where J. and I began falling in love, and a sandwich shop run by an immigrant couple who named the shop after their daughter. Apparently the the old wall clocks will be allowed to stay.

Walt Mancini's photo in the Pasadena Star-News shows a chapel. Knowing the Braley Building, I can only assume that's in the basement where the Knightsbridge Theatre once was. There I performed the Shakespearean roles of Tamara in Titus Andronicus and Cleopatra in Antony and Cleopatra. Fun times.

The theater company moved on to a better space before the Braley was sold. Say what you will about Scientology, but my bet is the chapel doesn't have cockroaches.

Not That Kind of Passion

When I need a break I go for a hike in the hills. But some situations call for drastic measures. When it gets that bad you need a complete departure from civilization.

I remember going on church retreats when I was a pre-teen. They were fun, like going to camp. On one retreat I had a crush on Brian. He put his arm around me during the educational film strip, then broke my heart when he put his arm around Darleen at the campfire. It was a stressful weekend.

I believe they're offering an entirely different experience at the Mater Dolorosa Passionist Retreat Center in the hills above Sierra Madre.

Their lovely website makes a retreat look so inviting I'm almost tempted to leave my iPhone behind for a weekend. On the site there's advice about how to make the most of the experience, with ideas ranging from the ethereal (how best to use your spiritual time) to the earth-bound (wear comfortable shoes for strolling the grounds). And the price is very reasonable.

The virtual tour is a bit...busy. (You'll just have to imagine that the grounds are peaceful.) But from Bailey Canyon, where I hiked high above the Center on my own mini-retreat the other day, a big retreat at Mater Dolorosa looked like heaven.

Do you think one weekend would be enough time for me to get over the whole Brian-Darleen thing?

Cinematic Church

At 2588 East Colorado Blvd., amid antique shops, used furniture stores and a cute-looking restaurant or two, you'll find the Pasadena Christian Center which (obviously) used to be a movie theater.

A snoop around the church's website will tell you about their religious mission and practice. They've been in Pasadena in various locations since 1929, and "debuted" in the one-time Colorado Theater in 2002.

The Colorado Theater link takes you to the fantastic Cinema Treasures website. The photos of the early Colorado Theater show it looking much plainer than it does now. I wonder when the marquee got so fancy?

And if you're looking for something to do after church this weekend, check out Ben Wideman's new series about city parks at The Sky is Big in Pasadena.

Zen Tuesday: #8

Zen Monday is the day you experience the photo and give us your thoughts rather than me telling you what I think the photo's about. But this is Zen Tuesday so the rules are even fewer and farther between.

Say what comes to mind. That's what we're here for today.

Recession Religion

Lake Avenue Church is reflected here in the empty storefront across the road.

That's literal, not figurative. Though the stores may be empty these days, Lake Avenue Church seems full.

I wondered if the same is true of all churches. It's easy to make the assumption that, during a recession, church attendance would rise. So you know me. I Google.

The only thing I found was a Gallup Poll from March of 2009. It says no, attendance is the same as it was in 3/08. But last March people hadn't been unemployed for eight, nine, ten months yet. Stores weren't closed up and down the street. Prices hadn't been so high for so long.

This slump won't last forever. (I promise!) But while it's going on, let's take a completely unscientific poll. Have you been attending your house of worship more in the past year than before? If so, is it helping? In what way?

Chanukah in Pasadena

Pasadena's got a church just about everywhere you look. They're in brightly painted houses obtrusive and un, strewn throughout residential neighborhoods and business districts, competing for attention with liquor stores, shopping malls and each other. If you're a Christian, by gosh by golly and by God, we've got whatever you need.

If you're a Jew I hope you can find a home in one of two local synagogues which, as far as I can tell, go quietly about the business of worship, service and Pasadena life.

I realize Chanukah isn't the biggest Jewish holiday, but not everybody's a Christian. So I always hope for signs of acknowledgment that Christmas isn't the only thing going on in December. I've seen a couple of small, shiny store displays of Chanukah candles and paper plates--attempts at appeasement, if you ask me. I hoped to photograph something better for today. I remembered seeing this menorah last year in the parking lot of Chabad of Pasadena at the corner of Walnut and Wilson. I was lucky. It was there last night. I hope they light a big candle in it tonight.

The Pasadena Jewish Temple has Hanukkah services today. Chabad of Pasadena will host a Family Chanukah Celebration at City Hall on Sunday from 3-5 PM.

The best Chanukah/Hanukkah gift I can give you is a visit to Jerusalem Hills Daily Photo. There you'll find Dina, a Jewish transplant from my old stomping grounds in Chicago (whom I met on the web), living a life of study and generous open-mindedness one doesn't expect to find, especially in the Middle East. Dina works on archaeological digs, most recently in Tiberias on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. Think of the things she touches, right there where the ancients walked. They were just like us and we will one day be just like them.

Happy Hanukkah.

A couple of updates from Ann Erdman, Pasadena's Public Information Officer:

Lamanda Park Branch Library (140 S. Altadena Dr.) will host Chanukah fun and festivities with musician/singer Shulamir Rosner on Monday, Dec. 14, at 3:30 p.m.

There will be a Christmas tree-lighting celebration at La Pintoresca Branch Library (1355 N. Raymond Ave.) today at 5 p.m. and Allendale Branch Library (1130 S. Marengo Ave.) Saturday at 4:30 p.m.

La Pintoresca Branch Library will host a Kwanzaa celebration with tasty dishes prepared by members of the Pasadena Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority on Monday, Dec. 18, at 10 a.m.

Ann adds further:
By the way, there's a wonderful exhibit in the Children's Room at Pasadena Central Library featuring origami designs created by the community of students from Weizmann Day School (Jewish), Saint Mark's School (Episcopal) and New Horizon School (Muslim) as part of an ongoing relationship of respect and fellowship. Everyone can marvel at the display through Dec. 31.

Presbyterian from on High

I snapped this shot of Pasadena Presbyterian Church on Colorado Blvd. from atop the Pasadena Professional Building at the corner of Madison and Union. If you click on this picture to enlarge it, you can get a better view of the cloisters to the right. You can also see the bells mounted in the slim, modern bell tower. These bells survived the 1971 Sylmar earthquake, but the original bell tower didn't. (Thanks to Elizabeth for sharing this info in yesterday's comments.)

Pasadena Heritage says the church began in 1875 in a private home; this site was purchased in 1908. But this view wasn't available until 1925 when the Pasadena Professional Building came into being.

I took several more shots, but I knew security man Ernie had other things to do, and though he was too kind to rush me I thought it best to head back downstairs to see Amelia.

Amelia's the building manager, and a fountain of facts about the Pasadena Professional Building. In order to build the eight story structure, a group of 57 doctors, surgeons and dentists formed a corporation. For a cost of nearly a half million dollars, Los Angeles architects Dodd & Richards and LA's Schofield Construction Company built to the corporation's specifications. Each office suite is different due to the arrangements made for the original occupants. Where are you gonna find that today?

Just walk into the lobby and you'll know you're in a special place.

We'll take a three-day weekend to bring home the bacon and do some other blog business, and I'll finish the tale of the Pasadena Professional Building on Tuesday.

Collaboration

I ran into Cafe Observer last night. Each of us was stricken, in the same moment of Pasadena night-time magic, with an inability to pass by City Hall without taking photos. So there we were in the courtyard snapping away, freezing our fingers and jawing.

This photo was taken from across Euclid Avenue in the Plaza Las Fuentes next to All Saints Church. My camera's lens refused to include both City Hall and it's reflection in one of the fountain pools. C.O.'s camera allowed both, but he needed a tripod. I happened to have one. I think I won't tell you who pressed the button. Thank you, Cafe Observer, for letting me post our photo here.

Happy first day of Chanukah, by the way. (Well, first night - the holiday begins at sundown.) I know about as much about Pasadena synagogues as I do about Pasadena churches, so I googled. The Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center and Chabad of Pasadena each have events today, and Chabad of Pasadena invites the public to menorah lightings on December 22nd, 23rd and 24th at 5pm in the courtyard at One Colorado. I think that sounds fab.

Free to Worship

You'll be happy to know the Brown Memorial AME Church is in a new building and is no longer operating here. It's tough to do church services without sunlight streaming through the windows.

I tooled around the church's website and learned a bit of history of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. I suggest you read it but in case you don't, in a nutshell the AME Church was founded in 1787. It was, and still is, an African American Methodist Church. Of course it's not that simple.

The website is going to be nice but it's not finished yet. I hope they'll add information about the Pasadena parish. And I'm curious to know more about this building. I don't know if the church still owns it or not. It's been boarded up for many months now, and I wonder if the neighborhood will find a use for it. Right now it's a hulking thing just sitting on Orange Grove Blvd. near the corner of Fair Oaks, not too far from some pretty fancy real estate like the Gamble House and the Fenyes Mansion. With plenty of free parking!

Zen Monday: Real Men Love

Zen Monday is the day you tell me what the photo's about, rather than me telling you. My desire is to provoke conversation.

Andrews' Italian Cousin

Despite the striking tower (pictured yesterday), my favorite architectural feature of Saint Andrews Catholic Church is this rounded projection which (since I've never been inside) I presume to be at the back of the nave behind the chancel, where the altar might be. (Here's a church diagram.)

Sure enough, the Roman church said to have inspired this one has a feature very much like it. Not only does Santa Sabina have the same arched windows, but the stone is also of a similar hue. (Click on the Santa Sabina link to see a photo of the Roman basilica. The photo below is of the Pasadena church.) The Roman basilica, built in 432 AD, has some nice pock marks that ours doesn't have. I'd like to stay around a few hundred years and see ours do some graceful aging.

The only unfortunate thing about the local building I can see, architecturally speaking, is that the rear of it is crowded against the funeral home. You can't get a good look at the back. But I suppose that has a convenience all its own.

Saint Andrews Catholic Church: the Tower

The tower of Saint Andrews Catholic Church, built in 1927, is one of Pasadena's most-photographed landmarks. Ben has a very cool shot of it, which I hesitated to link to because I mentioned in the comments I thought it was part of the funeral home next door. Well, that was back in the days when I wasn't perfect.

Wikipedia's article about Saint Andrews says "The architect, Robert Montgomery, and the church's pastor, Msgr. McCarthy, both traveled to Italy studying early Byzantine architecture to find inspiration for the new church." They found inspiration in Saint Sabina's basilica in Rome, which was built in 432 A.D. A photo I'll show you tomorrow bears a good resemblance.