dual personalities

Tag: scripture

April 27, 2017

Food for thought

by chuckofish

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IT IS OUT OF the whirlwind that Job first hears God say “Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?” (Job 42:3). It is out of the absence of God that God makes himself present, and it is not just the whirlwind that stands for his absence, not just the storm and chaos of the world that knock into a cocked hat all man’s attempts to find God in the world, but God is absent also from all Job’s words about God, and from the words of his comforters, because they are words without knowledge that obscure the issue of God by trying to define him as present in ways and places where he is not present, to define him as moral order, as the best answer man can give to the problem of his life. God is not an answer man can give, God says. God himself does not give answers. He gives himself, and into the midst of the whirlwind of his absence gives himself.

–Frederick Buechner, Telling the Truth

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P.S. Have you ever noticed that God looks like he is in a big brain in Michelangelo’s depiction of him on the Sistine Chapel (see above)? That green scarf is the vertebral artery. I did not think of this myself, but I have to admit, it really does look like a brain. Discuss among yourselves.

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March 22, 2017

How are things in Glocca Morra?

by chuckofish

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Daughter #2 made it safely to flyover land and to my office yesterday where she graded mid-terms and I got some work done.

In the afternoon we went to the hospital to see the both wee babes.

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Later the boy came over to our house with Lottiebelle for dinner (daughter #3 was in class) and we had more time to hold and stare. Nothing better.

Today, we repeat. Have a good one!

Behold, children are a gift of the LORD,
The fruit of the womb is a reward.

Like arrows in the hand of a warrior,
So are the children of one’s youth.

How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them;
They will not be ashamed
When they speak with their enemies in the gate.

Psalm 127: 3-5

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January 12, 2017

By the way

by chuckofish

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Thank you, Billy Graham, for reminding us.

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Some of us seem to have forgotten this.

And also let’s try:

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Have a good Thursday. We are bracing for a winter storm/ice storm–oh, boy! We’ll do our best to keep calm and carry on.

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January 10, 2017

Now King David was old, advanced in age; and they covered him with clothes, but he could not keep warm.*

by chuckofish

 

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Winter is here. I am grateful for my warm house and my Austrian wool coat and my heated car.

I often think of those brave pioneers facing the cold without Gore-Tex coats and down mittens.

“All day the storm lasted. The windows were white and the wind never stopped howling and screaming. It was pleasant in the warm house. Laura and Mary did their lessons, then Pa played the fiddle while Ma rocked and knitted, and bean soup simmered on the stove. All night the storm lasted, and all the next day. Firelight danced out of the stove’s draught, and Pa told stories and played the fiddle.”

–Laura Ingalls Wilder, On the Banks of Plum Creek

I  mean really.

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Take heart though–it’s supposed to get up to 61 degrees today!

*1 Kings 1:1

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November 14, 2016

“And the love of God is broader Than the measure of our mind”*

by chuckofish

This was a busy weekend pour moi. I went to the rummage sale at the Episcopal Church I attended growing up. I went to a funeral at Grace, to see “Steel Magnolias” performed by the local theatre guild, and back to church on Sunday.

The boy accompanied me to the funeral because it was for a member of the church choir and he knew him from back in his choir days. (It is sometimes necessary to remind the young the importance of attending funerals. I remind myself as well.) It was sad because the deceased was relatively young (with one son still in college) but it was a lovely Rite I service and the members of two church choirs sang.

We went out to dinner after the funeral, and then the OM and I went to the theatre. You will recall that “Steel Magnolias” is a play about six southern women and it takes place in a beauty parlor in Chinquapin, Louisiana in the 1980s.

Our friend was playing Ouiser, the “Shirley MacLaine part.”

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As Ouiser says at one point: “I do not see plays, because I can nap at home for free…” I tend to agree, but I am a good friend.

I was a reader at church on Sunday. I read St. Paul and got to say: “Brothers and sisters, do not be weary in doing what is right.” And what is doing right? Well, Paul says, Do your  work quietly and earn your own living. 

I talked to my DP and she told me about this:

Amen, brother.

*Maurice Bevan (1921-2006)

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November 8, 2016

Let the people say Amen

by chuckofish

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Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.
–Psalm 27:14
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November 7, 2016

“Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you…”

by chuckofish

On Sunday our rector came the closest to giving a political sermon he has ever come. And by that I mean he quoted from The Wall Street Journal. He didn’t mention the gospel lesson which was amazingly appropriate for the Sunday before our national election day.

“But I say to you that hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. 29 To him who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also… 31 And as you wish that men would do to you, do so to them.” (Luke 6: 27-31)

I will be turning the other cheek a lot this week. Which is what I think our rector was getting at. We’re all in this together, now let’s be nice. Jesus said it better.

Meanwhile, I am reading On the Move: A Life by Oliver Sacks, the doctor and neurologist who was also a best-selling author.

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He wrote Awakenings, which was adapted into one of my favorite movies in 1990. Anyway, I am enjoying his autobiography immensely. It is so well-written! (I watched Awakenings on Sunday night–so good!) Remember this:

Wonderful.

The warm weather has encouraged last year’s Chrysanthemums to re-bloom,

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There’s a lesson in there somewhere for all of  us. Keep going.

“Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree.”

–Martin Luther

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October 6, 2016

“The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.”*

by chuckofish

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It is that time of year when the Monarch Butterflies appear in flyover country. These pictures are from a friend’s blog. Cool, right?

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“Marvelous!” he repeated, looking up at me. “Look! The beauty–but that is nothing–look at the accuracy, the harmony. And so fragile! And so strong! And so exact! This is Nature–the balance of colossal forces. Every star is so–and every blade of grass stands so–and the mighty Kosmos perfect equilibrium produces–this. This wonder; this masterpiece of Nature–the great artist.”

―Joseph Conrad, Lord Jim 

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Photos by Don Sessions

*Psalm 19:1 (KJV)

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September 29, 2016

Throwback Thursday

by chuckofish

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Here is a picture (taken circa 1930) that should bring a smile to your face today. Our mother is on the left and her older sister Susanne is on the right. I am not sure who the lady is–an aunt? (Uncle Erskine’s wife?) There is also half a dog, also unidentified. I don’t know about you, but I am loving their ensembles. So glad little Mary got to wear that necklace.

Anyway, may this adorable photo of yesteryear serve as a reminder to print some of those pictures you are storing on your phone. Someday someone will be glad you did. (And here’s a word from blogger Emily Clark on the subject.)

In other news, the boy got his staples removed two weeks after his surgery. The doctor quoted Keanu Reeves in The Replacements (2000)– “Pain heals. Chicks dig scars. Glory lasts forever.” 

FYI: Tonight is Gene Wilder night on TCM. Here’s the schedule if you are in the mood.

Today in the Episcopal Church we celebrate the feast of Saint Michael and All Angels. The Epistle appointed for today is Revelation 12: 7–12

War broke out in heaven; Michael and his angels fought against the dragon. The dragon and his angels fought back, but they were defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. The great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the Devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.

This may explain a lot.

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September 26, 2016

Grant us strength and courage*

by chuckofish

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6 Of course, there is great gain in godliness combined with contentment; 7 for we brought nothing into the world, so that we can take nothing out of it; 8 but if we have food and clothing, we will be content with these. 9 But those who want to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and in their eagerness to be rich some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains.

11 But as for you, man of God, shun all this; pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, gentleness.12 Fight the good fight of the faith; take hold of the eternal life, to which you were called and for which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

There was a lot of uncomfortable scripture in Sunday’s lectionary starting with the “Alas for those at ease in Zion” cautionary speech from Amos, continuing with Paul’s strong words to Timothy, and concluding with the difficult parable of the rich man and Lazarus. Our rector soft-peddled  most of it, urging us to “see in love” and to notice the needy etc. All very well and good, but Amos, Paul and Jesus would have rolled their eyes.

During the Prayers of the People one of the acolytes fainted/had a seizure. Since I sit up front on the epistle side of the church, I had a birds-eye view of the whole thing and it was pretty unsettling. I was unsettled to begin with, because I had just heard that three members of the vestry had resigned, including one person who is a regular pillar of the church.

On the one hand, I was happy that I am so out of it that I had no inkling of any drama going on, but it was unsettling nonetheless. I really hate drama at church.

Our U-verse was out on Friday night, so I was forced to watch a DVD and put Longmire off until we were back online the next day. I watched I’m Not There (2007)–or “Ruminations on the life of Bob Dylan, where six characters embody a different aspect of the musician’s life.”

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Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, Heath Ledger, among others, play the different Bobs. It was interesting, but seemed overly gimmick-y. The best thing about it was the real Dylan playing on the soundtrack.

The boy came over on Saturday and we watched the Cards–Cubs game which was fun.

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We won 10-4 so that was especially good too.

And I saw these on Etsy:

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Now it is Monday and a very busy work week looms. All will be well, right?

*BCP, Post-communion Prayer

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