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Writing about what I have been reading and encountering in the media. |
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WELCOME TO MY BLOG! I comment on things I am reading, thinking about, encountering in media, and spiritual issues. I hope you will find something interesting. PS. I love feedback... |
| 47.McCullough, David, John Adams. Kindle Audible Edition, read by Nelson Runger, Simon&Shuster Audio, 2005. Winner of the Pulitzer Prize. This biography left me feeling very good about our second President, and not quite as good about the third. Though John Adams and Thomas Jefferson were close friends, they could not be more different. Adams is described here as well read, orderly, healthy, and devoted to his family. The biography focuses little on his childhood but provides an in-depth recounting of his very interesting adulthood. I found it very interesting and hard to put down. I hope you will read and find it equally interesting. It is well written and full of good stories. 48.Harmon, Amy, From Sand and Ash, Lake Union Publishing, 2016, Kindle Audible edition read by the author (I think), a historical novel set in WWII Italy. The two main characters grew up together and the story follows them through the war. I found this book to be very interesting with just the right balance between the best in the characters and the flaws in humanity. This is the first book I have read about the war in Italy. I found it gripping and well written and hope you will too. 49. Alvarez, Julia, In the Time of the Butterflies Algonquin Books, 2010, Kindle Audible Edition, Historical Fiction Ms. Alvarez skillfully presents the story of 3 sisters who were murdered in 1960 for their activities in the underground resistance to the rule of Trujillo in the Dominican Republic. They are the butterflies. She has included available facts as a framework for the story and fictionalized the parts for which she has no evidence. The story is painful and fills the reader with admiration for these three brave young women. The news often talks about leaders of "banana republics" as an example of authoritarian regimes. This is one example. I hope you will enjoy time in this lovely setting. 50. Handler, Suzanne, The Secrets They Kept: the true story of a mercy killing that shocked a town and shamed a family, Lane Press, 2013, Kindle Audible Edition. Essentially biography with a memoir quality Suzanne Handler, a mental health professional herself, went on a quest to untangle long-held family secrets related to her aunt. She gathered documents and photos and in this book, puts together the story of mental illness in the 1950s and some very interesting history, too, of the mental health delivery system. The focus is primarily on the family history, though. This is a fairly short book, but fascinating. 51. Daynard, Jodi "The Midwife Series" Lake Union Publishers, 2017, Kindle Audible edition, a trilogy, historical fiction, set in the time of the American Revolution. (The Midwife's Revolt, Our Own Country, and A More Perfect Union.) I very much enjoyed these books. The heroine is truly admirable. The life and practices of a country midwife are clearly and carefully presented in writing that moves you through the difficulties and triumphs of rural women during a very difficult time in our history. This is something my mother would have enjoyed, just as I did. 52. Hanna, Kristin, The Nightengale 2015, Kindle Audible Edition read by Polly Stone, Historical Fiction This is the story of two sisters coming of age at the start of WWII in France. It gives a clear picture of challenges and problems faced by citizens trying to survive the war. It also brings to life the true story of a true hero of the war who helped rescue downed allied pilots: The Nightengale. The story is gripping and at times distressing, as you would expect of a war story. I loved the characters and the writing brought the whole thing to life for me. 53. Wingate, Lisa, Before We Were Yours, Ballantine Books, 2017 Kindle Audible Edition, historical fiction Based on a real incident of an "orphanage" that "sold" children in Tennessee, this is a fictional story of a family of siblings and their experience of being separated from their family and adopted. It is told from the perspective of one of the children as an adult looking for answers to her own history. Very sad situation told from a point of view of the strength of survivors and the power of the sibling bond. 54. Stevenson, Bryan, Just Mercy: a story of justice and redemption, Speigle and Grau, 2014. Kindle Audible edition read by the author, Memoir Bryan Stevenson completed his law degree and chose a practice in Alabama, fighting for people on death row. This is a gripping reminiscence of his work including stories of specific people he met and helped along the way, This is one of the most interesting books I have read in this list. I highly recommend it! 55. Greenfield, Ted, Lifemart: sweet narratives and others Two Scoops Press, 2017. Kindle edition Memoir was written in narrative poetry style. I opened this little book with doubts, but, it was free, so why not? It grabbed my attention and I read it all in one day. An elderly man writes about his life in the nursing home and his memories of people important to him. I enjoyed every word. I suspect this is in response to his careful writing and the fact that this Mr. Greenfield is very optimistic and likable. If you have a Kindle, you can borrow it to read. 56. Alyan, Hala, Hijra, Crab Orchard Series, Southern Illinois University Press, 2016. Poetry This poet has used beautiful language and imagery to share glimpses of the experience of migration due to natural disaster or war. Here you find survival and loss, confusion and wisdom, abiding faith, and heroism. This is a lovely volume you will want to read again and again. 57. Meacham, Jon, Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power, Random House, 2012. Biography This widely acclaimed book examines the political practices of Thomas Jefferson. The author spends less time on Jefferson's activities in Europe and his thoughts about the French Revolution than I would have liked. On the other hand, he looks in depth at some of Jefferson's major decisions and accomplishments as President. I must admit, I liked the Adams biography more than this one. It seemed as if the author glossed over a few things I would have liked to learn more about. However, one cannot do everything in one book, and I see that Mr. Meacham has another Jefferson biography out. Perhaps I should read it. 58. Warton, Edith, Glimpses of the Moon, Public Domain, 1922. Novel. I love Edith Warton's writing! I have read 5 other of her books and had not heard of this one. It is short, 187 pages, and therefore a quick read. In this novel, the author explores the meaning of attachment and the downside of materialism. The setting is Europe and the characters are members of a class of people without resources of their own who live moving from one wealthy household to another, dependent on these wealthy patrons for their survival. The author examines their relationships with each other and with their children. I loved reading this and hope you will give it a try. I read it at no charge on Kindle.' 59. Middlebrook, Diane Wood, The Poetry of Anne Sexton and Sylvia Plath, Stanford Audio, 1999 (Audible) Lecture This is a 1.5-hour lecture with the question-and-answer session presented by the author of an Anne Sexton biography. In the lecture, the speaker discusses the backgrounds of the two poets. They met in a writing class with Robert Lowell. All three suffered from mental illness, so Ms. Middlebrook discusses the illness and it's relationship to their work. She also discusses the school of writing called confessional, which emerged along with the New York School. A review I read expressed disappointment that there was so little poetry involved in the lecture. The speaker uses two poems looking at them very carefully and using them to support and clarify her thesis. I very much enjoyed this as it connects things together for me and increased my understanding. It also motivated me to look into Robert Lowell. 60. Oliver, Mary, At Blackwater Pond, Beacon Press, 2011, Audible edition read by the Author. Poetry I have and have read most of Mary Oliver's poetry. I had developed a feeling when reading more recent work that she was writing to please her fans with more of the same. This book, however, is different. First, listening to her voice reading it helps me see what she is saying. Second, this is a compilation of her favorites of all the poetry she has written, so, it is her best work. If you love Mary Oliver's work, you will love this. If you have not read her work, this might be a good place to start. Then, read Dream Work. 61. Daly-Ward, Yrsa, Bone, Penguin audio, 2017, read by the author. Audible. Poetry This poet is a first generation African-English woman who writes confessional poetry about her life challenges and struggles. The writing is powerful, sometimes raw, and always compelling. Even though I would expect her perspective to be very different from my own, I easily identified with her voice and experience. Her reading of her work definitely enhanced my experience. 62. Lithgow, John, The Poet's Corner: The One-and-Only Poetry Book for the Whole Family, Hachette Audio, 2007. Audible. Read by several familiar performers. Poetry. I love collections of poetry that provide a wide range of styles and voices. I love this recording and have listened to it over and over. Here, Mr. Lithgow presents his history with poetry and a brief history of each poet. He also includes information about other things they have written and where you can find them. The poems are written in English and he draws from before and including Shakespear to the present in no particular order. I have a number of other collections from Audible, but so far, this is my favorite. 63. Hughes, Kathryn, The Letter, Headline Digital, 2015, Audible, novel The publisher notes assert that this is a best seller. I loved it, so perhaps you will also. The story begins with a young woman in a very bad marriage. She discovers a letter written in the 1930's in a thrift shop donated jacket pocket and decides to find the author. This changes her life, and the lives of others encountered along the way. The premise is intriguing and the author skillfully pulls it off. 64. Nguyen, Viet Thanh, The Refugees, Audible Studios, 2017, A Short Story Collection read by the author. Because I enjoyed Mr. Nguyen's novel, The Sympathizer, I figured this would be good too. I was not disappointed. Each story presents a close look at the lives of Vietnamese refugees in their daily activities and close relationships. The stories are well crafted, interesting, and very much enhanced by the voice of the author. 65. Jordan-Lake, Joy, A Tangled Mercy: A Novel, narrated by JD Jackson, Angela Dawe, Brilliance Audio, 2017. I enjoyed this interesting novel about race relations, and its impact on families both white and black, in 1822 and 2015 America. It is easy to identify with the characters and has some qualities found in a good mystery. The writing is pretty good. This is not the great novel of the century, but it is an interesting read. 66. Jamison, Kay Redfield, Robert Lowell, Setting the River on Fire: a study of genius, mania, and character, narrated by Jefferson James, Random House Audio, 2017. biography This biography of the poet, Robert Lowell, is written by the author of An Unquiet Mind. The first half of the book provides the biographical information and the second half discusses the relationship between Mr. Lowell's bipolar illness and his creativity. She expands her thinking beyond Robert Lowell and talks about the relationship between the illness and creativity in the lives of other well known creative people who suffered from bipolar disorder. The story is poignant and interesting. Within is discussion of the "confessional" school of poetic writing, I very much enjoyed the content and spent time reading one of Robert Lowell's books, reviewed next. 67. Lowell, Robert, Brief Selected Poems, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2017. poetry I could not remember reading any of Robert Lowell. Now I will remember his rhythmic, rhymed, confessional poetry. I especially liked "For the Union Dead," a meditation on the Augustus St. Gaudens relief sculpture in Boston Commons. I love the work itself, and I loved reading Mr. Lowell's take on it. This book collects what the editor thinks is Lowell's best writing. He was a wonderful writer and I'm glad I finally read my way to him. I hope you do, too. I am currently reading a biography of Elizabeth Bishop and one of her books because she was a close friend of Robert Lowell and they strongly influenced each other's writing. 68. Gay, Ross, Catalogue of Unabashed Gratitude, University of Pittsburgh Press, 2015. poetry I happened on this when cruising Amazon poetry. The author writes a confessional style with some lyricism about his life and emotions in a positive, hopeful voice. The book has won three awards for poetry and very much deserves it. The poems begin with a focus on an ordinary thing and work their way around, every time, to something extraordinary or important. I will be looking for more of Mr. Gay's work. 69. Toibin, Colm, On Elizabeth Bishop Narrated by John Keating, Audible Studios, 2015. Biograpy with literary criticism If you are unacquainted with the poetry of Elizabeth Bishop, you are missing some fabulous writing. I came across her poem "The Filling Station" in a collection and was immediately hooked. So I found this biography, which also has qualities of literary criticism and memoir of the author, and read it. Between this and the biography of Robert Lowell, I have been in a very happy space for a few weeks. Neither of these writers has an easy life. Yet, their poetry is clear of any pessimism that I can see in what I have read. Another favorite Bishop poem is "The Man-moth." Neither of these is quoted in its entirety in this volume, but both are discussed at some length. I highly recommend this biography and the following book of Bishop poetry. 70. Bishop, Elizabeth, Poems, Macmillan, 2011. Poetry This is a complete collection of Elizabeth Bishop's writing including translations and 4 previously unpublished poems. It is a wonder to read! I hope, if you don't feel up to buying the book, or getting it from the library, you will go to the Poetry Foundation website and read some of her work there. 71. Holmberg, Charlie N., The Fifth Doll, Brilliance Audio, 2017. novel If you have read my list, you will see that I really enjoy Charlie Holmberg's writing. I also love nesting dolls. Here, the two come together. Ms. Holmberg writes tales with female protagonists facing magic and very challenging situations. As they work through the challenge, they must learn the magic, master it, and they always need help from someone else. In this book, it is a young man. There are overtones of romance, but the relationship develops more realistically in Ms. Holmberg's fantasy than more "realistic" books often are. These books would be great reading for middle school-aged kids. {image # 1445398} |
| It isn’t fair that some of us are more adept at self-expression than others. It isn’t fair that one person’s expression of their freedom as guaranteed under the Constitution of the United States of America is another person’s barrier to freedom. It isn’t fair that the impact of one choice that I make has consequences beyond my experience. It isn’t fair that I sometimes happen upon other people’s discussions and those discussions get me wanting to talk. It isn’t fair that this new virus is one of the most democratic life forms in existence attacking with no regard for race, religion, ethnicity, class, status, sexual orientation, or personal preference. It isn’t fair that today, three days after experiencing a temperature of 102.3 F some woman I don’t know chose to expound to one of my Facebook friends virtually in front of me on her right to go about without a mask. It isn’t fair that a half dozen or so of my Facebook friend’s patient explanations about the value of wearing masks to protect others from our germs were not well received by the woman claiming she did not have to wear a mask. And so, it wasn’t fair for me to ask her “was it you that made me sick?” and then to say “you will never know if it was you or not. Live with it. You didn’t even try to protect others from contagion.” And when she responded with “so now I’m a selfish bitch” it isn’t fair that I thought to myself “if you think so, then it might be so.” None of this is fair. None of this has much to do with freedoms guaranteed in the Constitution of the United States of America. But by golly, dear reader, not fair does not mean not real. {image # 1445398} |
| I have a headache to top all headaches, a fever and I have been tested for COVID-19. So, I want to blog about the experience. When I developed symptoms yesterday promptly at 3:00 PM. I felt like someone could bend my bones. I couldn’t stay awake. I was sitting in the car waiting for someone at the ophthalmologist. When she returned, I told her I felt like I couldn’t waken. Later, around suppertime, I started to have chills. By 10:30 or 11:00 PM, I had a temperature of 99.3. My blood pressure was 117 over 80, odd. I went to bed and couldn’t sleep because I ached all over. I checked my temp about every two hours and saw it rise to 99.8F. I have been drinking water, and more water, and more water. Right now, I am drinking chamomile tea. I thought about possible diagnoses. I am allergic to flu shots and have never had one. However, it has been nearly 20 years since I experienced the flu. So, that was on the list, but low. I experienced three tick bites about two weeks ago. I didn’t have a rash or anything that looked like it might lead to illness, but one never knows. Then there is COVID. I have been careful, wearing a mask every time I went out, using sanitizer, washing carefully, and going out only once a week. However, my symptoms are consistent with COVID. I should find out by Friday. I stick to the sheets when I want to turn over. This hurts because of all the muscle pain. I asked a friend to get me two new sets of sheets that are more slippery. She will have them mailed to me. The headache included feeling as if I have hot coals behind my eyes. It is hard to eat with a mask on. I unfasten the bottom and lift the mask to take a bite or a sip, then drop it back down. It feels as if my lymph nodes are hot or swollen or something. I am not alone but worry that my companion will get sick too. I went to church Sunday. I was the worship leader which put me at a good distance from everyone. I kept my best mask on tight. I am worried about the vulnerable people in the congregation. I am worried about the people I have encountered and about their health. Where did I get this? I just don’t know. My greatest hope right now is that it is tick-born. I am taking anti-biotics for that which usually works. Going back to bed now. I expect to keep posting daily. I am thinking it might be helpful to people who read this to know about this experience in case they or someone they care about gets sick. Stay clean everyone, and stay home. |
| This was a post on Facebook today, 5/22/2020. The article, as you can see, was published in 2017. I went to Huff Post and searched to find it there, but the search was unsuccessful. Nevertheless, because I have been thinking about this, it became a stimulus for me to write my thinking down. I have no way to send this to the author, but if someone who reads this can tell me how, I would very much like to send it to him. Concerning: Tim Rymel, M.Ed., Contributor Author | Educator | Dad Has Evangelical Christianity Become Sociopathic? 05/11/2017 05:08 pm ET Updated May 11, 2017 Dear Mr. Rymel, Thank you for your concerned ponderings on the state of Evangelical Christianity. I share your concern. I think about it a little differently. I don’t think the “church” took over or invaded politics. I think politics started using religion and has done so all of my life, which from looking at your photo, is somewhat longer than yours. When Dwight D. Eisenhower was President, he signed into law the bill making “In God, we Trust” the motto of the US and adding the motto to all US currency, as well as adding “one nation under God” to the pledge of allegiance. This broke the barrier between church and state that is in the Constitution and that had stood 175 years. This was not the church. It was the politicians who voted and signed the bill into law. The church may have wanted it, but politicians do things for their own reasons and knew, as the made this law, what they were doing to weaken, probably end, protection of religion from the state. The politicians saw a segment of America they thought they could manipulate. Christians did not see themselves as being used. They thought they were improving the country, bringing faith to the masses, etc. This is antithetical to Christianity. Using and being used is unhealthy for both sides. Faith does not come from money, advertising slogans or political manipulation and it doesn’t take a lot of reading in the Bible before you realize, Jesus made no effort to control the state, and when the state and religion alike tried to control him, they lost. They couldn’t even kill him. Both the state and the Evangelical movement are very sick right now. Growing up in a church with the first name “Evangelical,” I was taught this meant reaching out, welcoming, loving unconditionally, and bringing the Love of Christ to my neighbors through my actions as well as teaching. Today’s Evangelicals draw ridged lines, like the Catholics of the middle ages, welcoming only those that will follow their rules. Jesus never did this. Some politicians have lied, claiming Christian affiliation when they knew nothing of Christianity. The Christians that choose to believe those politicians are led by people participating in religion like the scribes and Pharisees to enhance their own riches and power. They are exclusionary, judgmental, and the love they share is very much conditional, as in your example of the mother who used the Bible to justify abandoning her son. She isn’t loyal to scripture. She shows no evidence of understanding scripture. She is the pawn of politicians like McConnell and Trump who have twisted the tenets of faith to their advantage and who use the issues of gay marriage and abortion to distract followers from the political activities that lead to the disenfranchisement of Christians everywhere. Further, you may have noticed that the “Christians” causing all the trouble are more than 90% white and are often referred to as “white evangelical Christians.” The people who oppose integration started infiltrating and gaining power among those Christians by promoting the “white is right” ideology that emerged to support slavery. This tendency among White evangelicals has deep, deep roots in slavery and racism. The Bible was interpreted to support the separation of the races, even though Jesus and his apostles never made any “racial” distinctions. Christianity came to open and remove barriers, not to shut people into a box, or into slavery. In the long history of Christianity, the major gatherings to clarify and define the faith were not organized by the church, but instead, by the heads of state. From the very beginning, Christianity has had to resist the state and has not always succeeded. At first, the state tried to destroy Christianity, then to join and control from within. Hitler had a state church. He simply re-wrote the Bible and had his version taught to children to support his power, authority, and interpretation of what is "right." Finally, these people call themselves Christians and call people who practice inclusivity based on the teachings of Jesus “secular humanists.” I have encountered many who had never even heard that the progressive movement in politics is firmly rooted in scripture. When that historical detail is presented to them, they argue with it, say it isn’t so, say “you have been brainwashed” and swear on their Papa’s grave they know for a fact that “liberals” hate them and wish all manner of evil upon them. They don’t question the origins of their own thinking. Do you question the origins of your thinking Tim Rymel? Do you think questioning is a path to a deeper faith? They seem to think questioning is the devil’s work. Summary: Yes, there is something deeply troubled in Evangelical Christianity. A good part of it comes from being used by politicians to achieve their economic and power goals, and from evangelical unwillingness to question what they are being taught. They say we would all be better off if we just agreed with them and they will keep working at that until they make us all agree. This is neither Christian nor democratic. It is pathological and on the verge of destroying our country. {image # 1445398} |
| 77. The Giver of Stars, Jojo Moyes, Penguin Audio, 10/08/2019 Audible.com After I read this, I read three reviews that say it is plagiarized from The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson. I don’t know if that is true. What I do know: This is historical fiction about women providing traveling library services in the hills of Kentucky during the Great Depression. I enjoyed the story and the characters. I don’t know how you might want to respond to the plagiarism accusation. Had I known ahead of time, I probably would have read The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek first. 78. The Universal Christ, Richard Rohr, read by Arthur Morey, (religion) Random House Audio, 03/05/19. Accessed through Audible.com. I have been reading this with a discussion group enjoying the book and the discussion very much. The author, Richard Rohr, is a Franciscan Priest. One of my Catholic friends says the Franciscans have always been thought of as “odd” within Catholicism. His thinking certainly is distinctive. He starts by saying all of creation is the first incarnation of God and Jesus is the second. He goes on to compare eastern and western Christianity and to discuss the differences and how they came about. It is clear that he thinks the western church lost something very important in the split from eastern Christendom. He then talks about what Buddhism has to offer Christianity in that it teaches how to be spiritual, where, he says, Christianity teaches what to believe. Finally, he defends women. He argues that Mary Magdalene, rather than being a prostitute, was the first apostle and explains clearly why he thinks this. A lot of this was not new to me, but instead validated a lot that I learned in my family and through my own reading and thinking, but not in church. We are almost finished with this book. I have two more by Richard Rohr to read, and I guarantee, I will read them. 79. Mary Magdalene Revealed, Meggan Watterston, Hay House Publishing, 07/09/19. (religion and memoir) Audible.com. Meggan Watterston has been studying Mary Magdalene for years. This has led her on a spiritual as well as a scholarly journey. She shares both in this book. A male reader found this disgusting. I am glad I am not part of his family. I have found the book to be interesting and challenging. It is well worth the read. It would be good to read The Book of Mary attributed to Mary Magdalene herself before, during and after this book. It is only a portion of the original, all that has been found. It is easy for me to see how Ms. Watterston became so interested when looking at what Mary Magdalene wrote and hearing the stories Meggan Watterston discovered in her quest. 80. Books by Charlie Holmberg: (fantasy) Smoke and Summons, Veins of Gold, The Changeling, Siege and Sacrifice, and The Will and the Wilds. Audible.com I don’t remember the order in which I read them as I read them as they come out. I think I have read everything she has written. This is light reading, escapist, and fun. Charlie Holmberg writes about female heroines dealing with challenges related to magic. Her characters are good and evil, with some struggling to decide which way they will go. I think anyone from pre-adolescence to old age can enjoy them. If you read much earlier in my list, you will see reviews of her earlier work. I may have left one out. Just start with the earliest publication date and move forward. Some tales go through more than one volume and some books stand alone. 81. The Way with Words IV; Understanding Poetry, One of the Modern Scholar productions, Professor Michael D.C. Drout; this is basically the series of lectures from a college course taught by Prof. Drout. 01/30/09, Audible.com. I love anything that informs me more about poetry. If you are not a reader of poetry but are curious about it, this is a good way to get some solid footing. 82. She Walks in Beauty, Caroline Kennedy, Hyperion Audio Books, 04/05/2011, Audible. com Another great bedtime read Caroline Kennedy selects poetry written by, for, and about women. Many of the pieces were new to me, and all amplify the importance and beauty of women’s relationships to each other and to those they love. 83. The Tattooist of Auschwitz, Heather Morris, (biographical novel, assuming that is a thing) Harper Audio, 09/04/2018. Audible.com This tale is based on interviews with Ludwig Sokolov a survivor of Auschwitz-Birkenau and was a tattooist there. This is a love story full of hope. How can one not love a well-told love story set in the depths of the darkest time in all of modern history? I hope you will love it too. 84. The Weight of Ink, Rachel Kadish, (historical novel) Highbridge a Division of Recorded Books, 06/06/2017. Audible.com This is one of my top five favorite books of the past two or three years. The author connects two periods of history through a trove of documents discovered in a very old house in England. They originate in the Jewish section of London during the Plague. The historical character is the secretary to a Rabbi who, against tradition, has educated her. The modern characters are academic researchers. The tale is one of determination, of women challenging the status quo and using brilliant reasoning in their unconventional lives. I hope you will enjoy this as much as I did. 85. The Overstory, Richard Powers, (environmentalist novel) Recorded Books, 04/03/2018, Audible.com One of the reader reviews of this book, offered by Michael Stansberry, says “I am a fuel-guzzling truck driver, but this book made me wanna pull my semi to the side of the road and hug a tree.” I can’t say anything much clearer than that. This is a great tale developed around the love of trees. The narrator, Suzanne Toren, does a great job of presenting the book. |
| 72. Portrait of a Lady, Henry James, (novel, first published in book form 1880) Penguin Audio, 09/26/2019, accessed at Audible.com A friend told me they started to read this and found it tedious. I loved it. According to some critics, this is the best of James’s early books. It examines issues of misogyny, female independence, modern vs. traditional relationships, and presents James’ thinking about the definition of a “lady.” The writing is detailed and precise. There is a quality of objectivity in detailed descriptions. The characters are well developed. I have nothing to say negative about this book and found it deserves its esteemed place in literature written in English. Because I enjoyed it so much, I started The Ambassadors, have struggled with maintaining interest, and have yet to finish it. The word “banal” may best describe what I have so far encountered. I intend to wade on and will write more when I finish. After all, how bad can it be when written by Henry James? 73. Every Word You Cannot Say, Ian S. Thomas read by the author and Roshina Ranstam (poetry) Andrews McMeel, pub. Released on Audible 03/05/19. This, as it turns out, is great bedtime reading/listening. It is gentle, introspective, and full of subtle suggestions toward self-acceptance. Ian Thomas is a South African poet writing in English and respected internationally for his innovative work. Was I still working as a therapist, I would suggest that everyone struggling with anxiety in relationships consider reading this. 74. When Women Were Birds, Terry Tempest Williams, narrated by the author, (memoir) Wind Over Earth pub., Released 05/18/2012 on Audible.com. I have enjoyed this book greatly. It is another great book for bedtime reading/listening. Terry Tempest Williams is a naturalist and a teacher and a devout Mormon. I think this is her fourth book. I like how she works to integrate her relationship with her mother with her relationship with nature and how she talks about her faith. She also discusses the politics of ecology in some detail. 75. Alex and Me, Irene M. Pepperberg, read by Julia Gibson (memoir) Harper Audio pub. 10/29/08. Audible.com. I inherited a lovebird last summer. She was about 7 years old and a widow. I knew nothing about lovebirds, so I started reading. I learned that lovebirds are the smallest of the parrots and was reading about parrots in general. In the process I encountered this book. Alex is a parrot who lived in a research facility where his capacity for learning human speech was studied carefully over his entire life. The author is the scientist. This memoir includes a biography of Alex. I was fascinated by the things the author learned from Alex, and by the fact that he actually internalized and used English to express himself. 76: The House Girl, Tara Conklin, Harper Collins, New York, NY, 2013. Written by an attorney, this novel takes place in 1852 and 2004. The 1852 protagonist is a house slave, Josephine, whose "missus" has educated and taught to draw and paint. The 2004 protagonist is an attorney named Lina who has been assigned the task of finding a descendent of a slave to be the primary litigant in a reparations lawsuit. Lina's parents are artists and so she is familiar with the art world which happens to present her with a candidate. Each character's backstory is full and rich. The ambiguity of Josephine's position makes the reader ponder, and the ambiguity of Lina's situation becomes gradually more clear to the reader. I very much enjoyed this novel, a New York Times bestseller, and hope you will too. I hear the author has a second novel out that I may just have to read. 76. One for the Blackbird, One for the Crow, Olivia Hawker, narrated by Jackie Zebrowski (novel) Brilliance Audio, 10/08/2019, Audible.com. This is a story about two families living as isolated neighbors on the frontier. They have the normal struggles that come with subsistence farming including weather, wildlife, and having no supports close enough to easily access. There are issues between the two households that are addressed. The story is about conflict, loss, and healing. I very much enjoyed this book. |
| Growing up in a Christian home, I learned that Jesus was “the Good Shepherd,” that He would seek out the one who is lost and would welcome the prodigal child back into His flock with as much energy and celebration as His most devout and loyal follower. We were told stories of His kindness as part of being taught to be kind, of His mercy when being taught to forgive, and of His love when being taught how to manage our grief. I thought this was how all Christian children are raised. I was wrong. People seeing me as their counselor have told me stories about growing up with the Bible used to justify the abuse of them, their mother, and/or their siblings. They told me stories about churches that frightened them in order to get them to obey. All of these stories included tales about hell, darkness, and the rapture. “The rapture?” I would ask. I had never heard of it before moving to the Bible Belt. A child told me about being unable to sleep for fear her family would be raptured and she would be left behind. The more stories I heard, the more horrified I became. What happened to the Good Shepherd? What happened to the prodigal son? What happened to the loaves and fishes and blessed is the peacemaker? What happened that Christianity could be distorted in this way? Then came the “right to life” movement. I learned that means no one can have an abortion. “Abortion is murder” they say. Some extended this to punishing women who miscarry. These same people, I discovered, were defending their right to own guns. What were the guns for? To kill people who commit abortions? Guns are to protect themselves from the liberals who want to take their rights away. “Guns are essential!” They would say “you’d better get down on your knees and pray for God to put you in the righteous way.” What do they mean when they say, “righteous way?” Jesus said, “love your neighbor as yourself.” How do I love my neighbor when my neighbor shouts at me that I hate him? I say “no, I want to be your friend, to stand up for your right to be safe and happy.” My neighbor says to me, “no you don’t! You hate me!” I ask where they learned that, and they just repeat that I hate them. Is rejected love still love? This is all very frustrating. We as Christians seem to be pulling apart and the rift between us is growing. How did it happen? Why is it happening? How will it end? I guess I had better get down on my knees and pray. (I accidentally hit the "like" icon and now cannot undo it.) {image # 1445398} |
| Ponderings about forgiveness and the crucifixion. 04/26/20 Recently, I said aloud to church friends, “I don’t want anyone to die for my sins. They are my responsibility.” I have said this a number of times before. This time, however, was different because I was talking to people of faith. What I said has been hanging around rather than fading away like most talk does. I have decided to write about it and see where I go. Jesus was brutally murdered publicly, and his murder was sanctioned by both his faith community and the state. He was not convicted of any serious crime. He was murdered by people who feared him, who feared the power he was building with the people, and who felt attacked by his message. He never tried to escape. He never backed away from his message. He didn’t engage in self-defense. Instead of “standing his ground,” he stood in his faith. Even from the Cross, he continued to teach, to pray for the least of his brethren, and he made plans for the care of his mother, from the cross. This bothers me, a lot. The story is so sad, so horrific, I can hardly stand to focus on it long enough to write this. But then, there is this thing called the resurrection. Almost as if nothing had happened, he appeared alive after being put into the grave. He just walked into death and back out of it, just like that! And, more remarkable, he didn’t come back mad or vengeful. He came back and stood in his faith. Then, he did the most amazing thing: he simply offered peace to his disciples and asked them to bring forgiveness to the world. He didn’t remind them of the things he’d been teaching them. He didn’t try to control their emotions or behavior. He simply said, “peace be with you,” and “forgive sins.” I look at the story of his crucifixion and resurrection and I cannot see how that is him saving me from my sins. What I see is him setting an example of how to be a person of faith. I see that even torture could not make him stop loving humans. Thus, it is easy for me to believe that I have a positive source of strength available to me as it was available to him. This source of strength saw him through the worst life can offer and through to the other side without losing his soul. He didn’t take my sins away. He demonstrated how to rise up out of human sin into peace. He taught us that sins are forgivable. He commanded his followers to forgive sins. He guides us from sin into forgiveness. In this way, he leaves us with a clear path and a command to follow it. As a teenager with issues that seemed unsolvable to me, instead of forgiveness, I longed for a clean heart. I sang words from Psalm 51 over and over in my mind, in my voice, and in my movement as I walked: 10. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. 11. Cast me not away from Your presence; take not Your Holy Spirit from me. 12. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and sustain me with your free spirit. I really didn’t know what a clean heart would be. The church told me that it is a heart that has received forgiveness. My problem was so hard for me to define; that definition of “clean heart” just didn’t seem correct. Forgiveness from or by God was not then and is not now my primary need. I am confident that the life source which we call God is not sitting around wanting to chastise me for my sins. In addition, Jesus didn’t tell his disciples to take care of God’s problem with wrath. He said, “as I was sent by the Father, so I send you.” Send them to do what? It appears he commanded them to forgive and to bring peace. I think my need has always fallen in the latter category. I need peace in my heart. Peace, then, seems to be my best definition of a clean heart. As a teen, I was angry and living in a world that forbids anger. This felt like everyone was telling me not to exist as I am, but instead, to pretend I was someone else. I became skilled at pretending I wasn’t angry while expressing my anger very indirectly in ways I never suspected were anger. All the time I kept singing and saying, “create in me a clean heart O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” I don’t remember if I thought of it as a prayer, but clearly it is prayer. All I wanted was to be free of all that anger. As I went through life, I resolved some of it: you know the kind I mean. I was mad at my mother for having her own wants and needs that differed from mine. I was mad at my brothers for calling me a girl making it sound like an insult and shutting me out of their doings. It took some work to get through those issues, but I did. However, instead of my anger decreasing, it was increasing. I became rageful. I had to curtail many social activities because I would get into arguments with people I didn’t even know. Working as a Social Worker had a lot to do with my rage building. I was seeing so much injustice and so much pain in good people who had the connection to the spirit alive and well in them, but who were being hurt over and over. They looked like one Christ after another, hanging on the cross, and they wanted to forgive. Too often, their gift for forgiveness just left them more vulnerable. So, by the time I retired, I was so full of rage, I was toxic to myself and had to be very careful around others. Those wounded people were not dying for anyone’s sins. They didn’t need to be tortured. The people mistreating didn’t need to hurt them. So, it is very hard for me to see how Jesus’ murder on the cross has anything to do with my need for any gifts from God. Nor does it make any sense to me that a being that can invent a universe and live within it can’t forgive without creating the disastrous end to Jesus’ life. The crucifixion seems to be less about getting forgiveness from God to us, and more like a way to show how forgiving is done in the human world. I think that Jesus came to teach us how to forgive. He came to teach us the nature of forgiveness. He came to put the power of forgiveness into us so that we would stop torturing each other. I learned a lot about that over time. I forgive those who mistreat me. Sometimes it takes quite a while, but I can’t say I carry any old grudges about hurts sent my way. What I have trouble forgiving is what people do to others. I need that rage cleansed from my heart. What will remain when the rage is gone? Peace. But it seems wrong to be at peace when others continue to suffer. This is where I get stuck. {image # 1445398} |
| Stand in Your Faith The message of April 19, 2020, for The Church of the Brethren, Cabool, Missouri. May the words of my mouth and the mediation of my heart be pleasing in your sight Lord, my rock and my redeemer. Ps.19:14 As I prepared my message for today, in honor of the 50th Earth Day coming on the 22nd, I reviewed some speeches by environmentalists. In honor of the anniversary of the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. April 4th, I reviewed his Christmas Sermon of 1967 and some of his other sermons. I also reviewed the scriptures presented here. I was most impressed with the King sermon and Psalm 16. I hope that I can put my impressions together in some orderly way. I remember vividly the death of Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968. I assume many of you listening remember as well. The story of those events in my life is of little use here, but my reaction to it was complex and heavy and that day, I became physically ill. A source of wisdom, Dr. King gave me a sense that although the problems we face are numerous, complex, painful and longstanding, they can be addressed constructively. He taught us to work together, side by side, rather than to compete. He demonstrated how to act on Faith as Jesus had acted. And, like Jesus, he walked forward knowing he would not live to finish the work he had set for himself to accomplish. As I look back, I wonder if my feelings about King’s death were something like the feelings the Apostles experienced after the death of Jesus. I wonder if they felt confused about what to do next. Did they feel afraid after the crucifixion as they had on Good Friday? Did they stay together the whole time between Good Friday and the gathering to which Jesus presented himself, or did the group fragment into two or three here and there? Did anyone go off alone in their despair and weep and ask God why? In the Gospel lesson, we learn they were together when Jesus came to them. It says they were afraid of the Jews. It is important to remember; they too were Jews. They feared their own kinsmen who had turned on them rather than listening and trying to understand what they were saying. There is no doubt in my mind, those same Jews felt Jesus and the disciples had turned on them. The division in their community was deep and violent. It was in this context the Disciples grieved. They grieved the death of the leader they loved and believed in. They grieved the death of their connection with kinsman who had killed him. They grieved their sense that they could count on their community to love and support them. They grieved a sense of security that was present when Jesus was with them. I have no doubt they felt powerless and lacked a sense of direction. In their grief, even if they had separated for a few hours, they came together to jointly hold the flicker of faith that remained theirs. It was in this context of togetherness that Jesus came. What did he say? “Peace be with you.” He said it twice. “Peace be with you.” He showed them that it was truly him by having them examine his wounds, the evidence of his suffering. He could have done a miracle. He could have given a great speech. He could have told them all how wonderful he was and convinced them with words. But scripture says he did none of that. He just offered them peace. Then he said a most profound and central thing, right up there with “Love your God with all your hearts and all your minds and love your neighbor as yourself.” He said, “As the Father has sent me, so am I sending you.” Then he told them they have the power to forgive and to retain sins. He didn’t say who’s sins. He didn’t say others. He didn’t say their own. He just said sins. There are so many things he could have said. I am confident that each of us could come up with some suggestions. However, he did not. He breathed the breath of the spirit into them and sent them with the directive to forgive and retain sins. That’s it. Here we are, you and I, receiving this directive. Forgive sins. Today finds us, as Dr. King said that last Christmas in his church with his home folks and kin, we are “a rather bewildered human race. We have neither peace within nor peace without. Everywhere, paralyzing fears harrow people by day and haunt them by night.” Today, we fear a disease that is killing thousands and could kill us. We fear the destruction of the ecosystem that sustains our physical selves. And, like the Disciples, we fear each other. It is sometimes hard to tell who will help and who will harm in this political environment. Dr. King said to us: “If we don’t have goodwill toward men in this world, we will destroy ourselves by the misuse of our own instruments and our own power.” He told us: “our loyalties must be ecumenical rather than sectional. Our loyalties must transcend our race, our tribe, our class, our nation; and this means we must develop a world perspective. We are interdependent.” I recall the members of the Charleston Church, who when faced by a gunman, stood in their faith. They offered the gunman love. They offered this stranger forgiveness even before he did anything wrong. They offered him fellowship. It did not change his behavior. However, they died in communion with their God. They died in faith that their path was the better of the paths before them. They died in peace as they were living when he walked in those doors. He did not have the power to take that from them. He could take their bodies, but not their souls. I have noticed a number of people are using this stay-at-home-time to assemble complex puzzles. When my niece was a child and learning to put puzzles together, she turned the pieces over so she could see the shapes better. Sometimes, the picture someone else has of a situation can distract or confuse us in our search to discover where we fit in. Sometimes, like Martin Luther King, Jr., the environmentalists of the last century, and Greta Thornburg, the place we fit seems less like fitting and more like: Standing up, and speaking out Speaking up and standing out. How do we do this when weighted down with fear and grief? Sometimes it just seems too hard to face. I have known times when I wanted to scream and run and never notice if my fears were well-founded. So, have we all. In times like these, it is hard to believe in a positive outcome. It is hard to find the good in the middle of our fear and grief. Governor Cuomo said last week that he just wants it to be over. Then, he said what he really wants is for us to succeed. This means “staying the course” as President Bush was fond of saying. What about happiness? Is it possible to be happy in the midst of so much sadness? Is it even okay to be happy while the world is under the pall of a pandemic? The Psalmist, David, found happiness in his faith. He said: “A fair heritage is indeed my lot! I will bless the Lord who gives me counsel, Who even at night directs my heart. I keep the Lord before me always; With him standing at my right hand, I shall not be moved. And so my heart rejoices, my soul is glad; even my body shall rest in hope.” What does faith give us? I think it gives us internal integrity, a sense of direction, and a battlement against powers that may overwhelm us, or even kills us. Faith protects the most important part of us from destruction. What is that most important part of us?: The capacity to connect, to act in the best interest of those around us, to feel empathy, to reach out when we are our weakest selves. The most important part of us is our life source. We are born with it, it is ours to care for, enjoy, and share or just keep to ourselves. No one can take it from us. No one can ruin it. It is always good, and it is always ours. The fact is, living in the context of faith, of connection to our life source, brings us a kind of joy unavailable any other way. Recently, Nancy Pelosi said she prays for President Trump. She explained this in terms of her Christian faith. She didn’t say she is trying to change or influence Mr. Trump. She is merely living in her faith in a way that gives her solid ground from which to do her work. Is faith a feeling we can depend on; a sense that we are loved even when we feel alone? Yes, but it is more than that. Faith is a sense of direction when the guide is lost. Faith is an awareness that good is always available even when things look hopeless. Faith shows us the power we have to make things better when we all work together. Faith does not protect us from grief; faith helps us grow through it. Faith does not stop our fear; faith helps us grow through it. Faith gives us the one thing no one can take from us: the capacity to live joyfully, no matter what. Gov. Cuomo said Tuesday, April 14, 2020, “whatever we do today changes the infection rate tomorrow.” It isn’t up to some specialized “best Christian,” or some distant leader to solve what worries us. It is up to us to stand in our faith and do what is needed in our lives. When we stand in our faith we stand with Abraham, David the Psalmist, St. Peter, Thomas the Twin, St. Francis, the ecologists, Martin Luther King Jr. and the individuals who nurture faith in us. We experience and express the power that gave us each other and that maintains the stasis of gravity and other natural forces that hold existence together. We Christians call this power “the peace of God that passes all understanding.” May the peace of God that passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen {image # 1445398} |
John the Baptist and Baptism May the words of my mouth and the mediation of my heart be pleasing in your sight Lord, my rock and my redeemer. Ps.19:14 Thank you all for the challenge and opportunity of presenting my thoughts to you! As I reviewed the Biblical references for today, I realized that in the church year, we leap from the visitation of the Magi to Jesus’ baptism in just one week, so here we are considering baptism. And there are lots of threads leading to this particular event. We are led to read Isaiah’s prophesy, which John the Baptist quotes as the purpose of his ministry: “Prepare the way of the Lord. Make his paths straight!” I decided to start my preparation with definitions. I was surprised to discover the meaning of anabaptist is re-baptize. This is rooted in a belief that one must consciously confess their own faith and their intention to follow the ways of Christ to be baptized. I was baptized as a toddler. In that tradition, baptism is acceptance, welcoming into the community of Christians. The covenant with God is presented to the child through the actions of the parents and the body of the faithful. In this way, a commitment is made by the grownups to raise the child in the ways of Christ, and to teach the child how to live within the love of God. I am reminded of the story Roger told of his mother putting a lamp in the window and welcoming a family out of the blizzard. This was an important part of his learning and participating in the love which is God. It is through actions such as these that Christians help the child to work out their own relationship with God. Roger had to decide if he would love the baby who was placed in his bed in the night. As we can see, he did. As the child grows, in the tradition in which I was raised, at or around puberty, children are offered the opportunity to prepare for confirmation. In this process, the child learns formally about the Bible, about the Lord’s Prayer, the Apostle’s Creed and the Ten Commandments. We were also taught about communion, how it connects us to all Christians and reaffirms our participation in the covenant with God. Confirmation is also offered to people wanting to join that denomination who have been baptized in the past. The learning process completed, we are offered the opportunity to accept an adult role in the church. For me, this is the first time I was expected to act like an adult. I was just turned 12 and my grandmother had died three months earlier. What a weight fell on my shoulders. I needed all the help I could get, and grandma was gone. So, I prayed like crazy. I went to church every time the doors were open. When I moved and had to change churches, I couldn’t always find what I wanted so, in addition to being confirmed into the Lutheran church, I was confirmed into the Episcopal church. I attended the Unitarian church while working for the Lutheran church in Erie, Pa, the United Church of Christ while living in Chester, CT, and the Ethical Society while living in St. Louis. When I moved to Mountain View, I joined the Presbyterian church. This is where it all ended for me, until now. Sandy told me she was re-baptized when she joined the Brethren. She said it with real emotion as if it was truly life-changing. I am curious. Next, in my exploration, I read about John the Baptist. I was amazed to discover that John and Jesus were Kin through their mothers. The Bible doesn’t identify the kinship, but it was close enough that Mary went to Elizabeth after the annunciation and stayed 3 months. It would have to be a pretty close relationship for me to have someone in my home for three months! Of course, in addition to genetic kinship, each became pregnant after an annunciation by the Angel Gabriel. At the time of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, and Mary’s time in her home, Elizabeth’s husband, Zacharia, was mute. Because he had trouble believing Elizabeth would bear a child, Gabriel gave him this sign. I find it interesting that taking spoken language from him somehow increased the value of his words. Elizabeth and Zachariah were past childbearing age. Does this remind you of anyone? Of course, Abraham. God seems to like to use the birth of babies into families to expand his covenant with humans. Could this have contributed to the idea of infant baptism? I wonder. Which of you would like to be Pregnant in your old age? It is no wonder to me that Zacharia needed encouragement to believe! What an audacious thing for God to do! I tried to imagine what Mary and Elizabeth discussed during that time. Perhaps they pondered the complications this brought to their lives. I expect they experienced wonder. Mary was 14 just entering her childbearing years, and not yet wed. Elizabeth was post-menopausal. Perhaps they wondered about the response of the neighbors to these events. Perhaps they shared both gratitude and fear. I picture them holding hands as they prayed together, and tears rolling down their faces. There is that sacred water again. I wonder if they comprehended that they could not change the destiny of their sons. These babies, not yet born, would experience great honor and grave difficulties and die at the hands of the unfaithful. Because they were chosen by God, they were oddities in their communities. My initial impression was that God intended for them to die in that way. I now doubt that. I think God just wanted and now wants people to know that following in the way of the Lord is more important even than physical safety. What a mixed message for these mothers to consider. These will be your son’s, yours and your husband’s, but their destiny is with their Father in heaven. In the end, they will change the destiny of all humanity. Perhaps this communicates to all parents that their children are gifts from God and destined for something they cannot foresee or control. All children. Hmmm. Here comes another radical idea; God’s covenant was with the people of Israel, not all mankind. Surely this would lead to trouble for these sons. And, as you know, it did. John became “the Baptist” after reaching maturity in the wilderness. He was the first prophet in four hundred years to come to Israel. I tried to imagine the Hebrews sitting around saying “Why no prophets? When will we get another Prophet?” They were still pondering over the teachings of the old prophets. It seems improbable they were looking for another one. Nevertheless, people flocked to him and accepted that he was speaking and acting for Yahweh, delivering a message directly from the Lord. I got to wondering where John got the idea to Baptize and why did people seem comfortable with the idea? So, I looked into the history of baptism. It was widely practiced in many if not most of the religions of the region. The Egyptians practiced infant baptism to cleans the newborn of blemishes from the womb. The Babylonians engaged in the baptism of infants also. There were forms of baptism by immersion as well as by sprinkling. Jews used immersion to help converts be reborn as Jews. In all cases, water was understood as a source of spiritual and well as physical cleansing. John expanded our understanding of the Jewish tradition reserved for conversion into Judaism. He offered forgiveness of sins and rebirth into a new life in the spirit to all who repent of their sins setting a goal to not sin again. He got this straight from God and told his listeners so. He also told them Jesus was coming and would baptize with the holy spirit. Well, I think the Jewish people had been sitting around waiting for someone to do what was prophesied in Isaiah. So, many were open, grateful, and elated to be baptized. Then came Jesus. In today’s Gospel lesson, Jesus asked John to baptize him. Well, John was astonished. It doesn’t say that, but he did tell Jesus he thought Jesus should be baptizing him. Jesus said no to that and with that, John baptized Jesus. Do you ever wonder why Jesus did that? I have wondered. There is a gospel according to Mary Magdalene that has been recovered either as part of the Dead Sea Scrolls or like that. In it, Mary says, in the spirit all are equal. So, could it be that Jesus was teaching us that there is no hierarchy? It seems to me he teaches that in other ways quite directly. Perhaps, he was also teaching us that baptism is interpersonal, that the involvement of another somehow strengthens the attachment to the spirit achieved through this ritual. In Jesus’ baptism, others watching were also very important to hear as Jesus came up out of the water, the voice of God come down as a dove saying, “this is my son the Beloved. My favor rests on Him.” What a supportive thing to say so publicly to your son whom you are sending out into the world knowing he will end up a sacrifice for the well being of humanity. These events seem to make it very clear that the whole point of Jesus, John, and baptism is the well being of humanity. What about the water? What a wonderful way to tie us to the physical creation all around us. We immerse ourselves into the world through the water and the water cleans us physically and spiritually. Without water, there would be no life. Without baptism, we might feel disconnected from everything. Through this act we truly become “one in the spirit and one in the Lord.” It seems as if people were pretty comfortable with God speaking out loud to them. Do you ever wonder why that is so infrequent now? Is it that we don’t know how to listen? Are we too distracted? There are volumes written about this, but I don’t know if anyone has really figured it out. I do know that occasionally people report actually hearing directly from God, but Christians are not united now, any more than the Jews were back then, about what and whom to believe. Perhaps the problem is disconnection from the body of God, from water and the earth. How do we go about receiving what is offered? I don’t know about you, but I sure as anything don’t deserve any of this. I don’t have my spiritual house in order. Besides, the whole thing is so preposterous. I remember a mother of a 4-year-old student in my Sunday school class telling me that there was to be another child born into the family. When she told her daughter about it, the child asked, “where is it coming from?” Mother replied, “Well your daddy had a piece and I had a piece and we put it together in my belly where our baby is growing now until it is big enough to be born.” The child’s response was “That is the silliest story I ever heard.” Well back in John’s ministry and up until and including the present, a lot of people shake their heads and think “this is unbelievable.” According to my reading, it is the task of each believer, like it was for John the Baptist, to find ways to help un-believers accept the gifts that come with faith. With this work to do, it is good that we remember, from today’s Psalm 29 verse 11, Yahweh gives strength to his people. Yahweh blesses his people with peace. Prayer: May the Peace of God which passes all understanding keep our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our teacher, and redeemer. Amen {image # 1445398} |
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