An Appropriate Proverb

There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the Lord.
Proverbs 21:30

Monday, April 30, 2012

May 1

OT – Judges 13:1-14:20
Today, we meet Samson. It is ironic that Samson comes along just now as the other famous Nazirite in the Bible is John the Baptist, subject of yesterday’s post.
Just as a refresher, a Nazirite is one who has made a vow to God. Until the vow is fulfilled, they drink no fermented beverages and eat nothing unclean and touch no unclean things (animals or dead bodies). The Nazirite can make the vow for his/her (yes, you could be a woman and be a Nazirite, but only if the father or the husband approved) life or a specific period of time.
Samson’s mother and John the Baptist’s mother made the vows for their sons (both miraculously conceived) and their sons kept the vows for their lifetimes.
However, John the Baptist was on a mission to convert. Samson was on a mission to obliterate the Phillistines. But first, he had to curb his enormous appetites for food, fun, and women.
When he slays the lion on his way with his parents to ‘get his woman’, he leaves the dead animal where it died. Okay. But when he comes back and discovers the lion infested with honey bees and honey, he a)touches a dead animal (unclean) b)eats from a dead animal (double unclean) c)eats from an unclean animal in general (lions are predators and unclean). So, not good.
Samson just blithely ignores the statutes, and goes about doing what he wants to do.
God, however, uses this for his own purposes and Samson gets back on track after ditching the woman.
We will see this pattern repeated again and again with Samson.

Psalm 102:1-28
Here’s a fabulous clip of Billy Graham discussing this psalm



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Sunday, April 29, 2012

April 30

Is it all about me?
Am I the center of the universe?
What if my life isn’t driven by what I need, what I want, what makes me happy?
What if I stop trying to be the fixer of all that is broken?
What if I renounce my need to be perfect or moral or right?
What if I release my agenda for me: my hurts, my expectations, my desires?
What if I stop forcing reality to be the way I want it to be and forgive my reality for being what it is?
What if I am not set apart from the rest of the world, but a part of it?
What if I see myself, not through my own eyes, but through the eyes of God?
What if it isn’t all about me?
….
If it isn’t all about me, or you, or us, or them… is it all about God?
Is God the center of the universe?
What if we allow God to be who God really is, instead of who we need God to be?
What if my true identity isn’t defined by how I am a person like no other, but it’s found in a God who created me in the divine image, just like everyone else?
What if we are in God, and God is in us?
What if we stop expecting God to answer our prayers, and our lives become God’s answer to prayer?
What if God is bigger than one person, one religion, one country, one way of seeing the world?
What if each of us is a small piece of God’s presence in the world?
What if it’s all about God being in ALL, and ALL being in God?

Excerpt from Nancy’s Noodle
http://insidenancysnoodle.blogspot.com/2012/04/journey-to-center-of-universe.html

NT – Today we begin the Gospel of John. For the esoteric among us, John is the favorite. For the ones who love metaphor, allusions, and similes, John is the favorite. For the ones that want different, John is your man.
John is not a synoptic gospel. The first 3 – Matthew, Mark, and Luke have much of the same stories, plot lines, even in some cases, the same words. They are called ‘synoptic’ (meaning same to the eyes) gospels. There are loads of theories out there – my favorite being Mark was first, then Matthew used Mark and a book of sayings (called Q for Quella, meaning word lessons), and Luke was written to tidy up Matthew and provide an overarching view of the life of Jesus and the first 30 years of the early church in Acts and a missing part that covered Paul’s life in Rome.
John, however, is entirely different. There are 7 ‘sames’ in all 4 gospels. We have one in our scripture passage today.
John The Baptist is in all 4 gospels and in all 4 gospels there is tension as to whether or not John was the Messiah or Jesus was.
One commentary that I read long ago postulated that as the gospels were being written, John’s followers still had the primacy in Israel as far as followers. John clearly had a lot of followers. Peter and Andrew were followers of John before they came to Jesus. John clearly made the Pharisees mad as you know what. He seriously angered Herod who imprisoned him and then eventually, reluctantly according the synoptics, had him killed.
In John, John the Baptist repeatedly states he is not the Messiah, he is not the one, he is so much lower than Jesus. I think the true question the Pharisees were proposing was “why is he not here, baptizing, and you are?” And the truth, the final truth is – Jesus did not baptize anyone. Did you realize that? I didn’t until I really sat down and thought about it. John the Baptist baptized, Peter did, Paul did a bunch, Jesus, none.
What the rest of the Gospel of John does after this little interlude with John the Baptist is talk about what Jesus The Messiah is really like and what Jesus the Messiah really did and what Jesus the Messiah really is going to do.
The writer of the G. of J. was an educated man. He wrote in classical Greek and he wrote well. He was well versed in the plays and novellas of the day. The G. of J. has story archs, yes, metaphors and allusions, character development and different types of literature all woven together into a beautiful
piece about Jesus.

Proverbs 14:13-14
Even in laughter, the heart may ache, and joy may end in grief.
This is true. After my brother Nathan died, I went several times to a grief support group at church. One of the statements that the facilitator made was that ALL relationships end in grief. Somebody dies, somebody leaves, the relationship is broken. But you can’t stop having relationships because of that. Instead, you have to live in the moment.
This is a hard thing to do when you KNOW that grief is either just around the corner or coming up fast.
Many of the moms that I have been friends with at Woodward are my friends on FaceBook. They are all boo-hooing over the graduation of their kids. I have to say, I have done some of that myself. Here is a picture of Matthew on his first day of kindergarten. Here is a picture of him Friday, his last day in school uniform.





I posted that on FaceBook, thinking it would be a nice nostalgia for a lot of people who know me and him. Instead, I spent most of the afternoon moaning over my upcoming loss.
Our proverbs today address this very emotion. I AM proud of Matthew and all he has accomplished. I AM excited about his college choice – Presbyterian College in Clinton SC and I AM excited that he has achieved the goal of graduation from Woodward Academy.
But I am sad, sad, sad for me and Don and Cole. We will be very lonely without him.
The next proverb in our scripture, though, is comforting and in some way, challenging to me. “The faithless will be fully repaid for their ways, and the good man rewarded for his.”
You can’t stop being in relationships because one – mother to an in-house son – ends. Things and people change and it is up to me to stay in the moment and keep working to the next goals.

Peace and grace to you this week. Even if you have to skimp, stay in the Word. God loves you and so do I.



Saturday, April 28, 2012

April 29

OT – Judges 9:22-10:18
I admit it. I am too sensitive to male chauvinism. Vs. 54 “Hurriedly he called to his armorbearer, “Draw your sword and kill me, so that they can’t say, ‘A woman killed him.’ So his servant ran him through and he died.”
Now, I recognize this culture is not the same as my own. But just today, some dude was joking with his buddy at the market and I overheard, “I’d rather be ANYTHING than a woman.” I have no idea the context. I really don’t care. All I know is that attitude is still out there and it really makes me mad. I’d use another word but this is Blogger. Someone would report me.
When I read stuff like that in the Bible, I just want to throw the book out the window.
Now, other people read it and they hear anti-Semitism in the NT. Or endorsement of oppression of those who aren’t of the same faith.
I have a bunch of Jewish associates (and some Christian ones, too) that use Biblical scriptures as a direct method to oppress and kill Muslims. Especially those who live on ancestral lands in “The Holy Land”.
All of this, all of this, makes me angry.
So what am I to do with scriptures like Judges 10:11 “The Lord replied, When the Egyptians, the Amorites, the Ammonites, the Philistines, the Sidonians, the Amalekites and the Maonites oppressed you and you cried to me for help, did I not save you from their lands.” The Israelites INVADED these people’s lands. They weren’t supposed to fight for them????
What do you do with these kinds of feelings when you butt up against them in the scriptures?
Me, I am planning on just living with them. I can’t understand God and I can’t see the big plan. I also don’t have the luxury of knowing all the stories that go with all the scriptures. I don’t have to like them to be moved by them.
But I do know one thing – I drop a water jar on somebody’s head who is trying to kill my family and he asks to be run through so he won’t be killed by me, a woman, and I am going to drop another rock right away. Then we’ll see who gets to run around saying they died some other way.

NT – Luke 24:13-53
Thank goodness for the different scriptures. After the bloodbath of OT, we come to The Walk to Emmaus in Luke. I find it interesting that only one is identified. Is this because Luke only talked and verified from Cleopas? Or was the other one purposefully left out due to some later problem or indiscretion?
I am glad that he finally used his power to open their minds to the Scriptures. I never realized that he finally had to do it in order for them to KNOW what and who Jesus was and is.

Psalm 100
This is one of the shortest psalms in the Bible but one of the nicest. If you haven’t already, memorize it. It is a lovely one to have on hand.


Friday, April 27, 2012

April 27

OT -- Judges 8:18-9:21
Wow, 70 sons plus one from a concubine. Don't know how many wives he had but that seems like a ton of boy babies. I'm thinking there must have been a goodly number of girl ones too. It was probably a good thing he shared in the plunder, although I wish he hadn't tried to make Jether kill the jerks who killed his brothers. Gideon sometimes does not show a lot of forethought.
And Abimelech. Even his name sounds wretched. Clearly, he carried a ton of resentment for being the only son who didn't live with his dad in the compound. Still doesn't give him the right to chop everyone's head off. And what do you think *he* did with the girls? I am not thinking pretty thoughts here.
My reading cuts the story off right at the apex and it is taking a lot of resolve for me not to read on but I am resisting.

NT -- Luke 23:44-24:12
What an impossible story! Who would believe the women? They didn't even believe themselves and had to have angels appear. One of the practical commentaries that I read about this passage talked about the spices and perfumes. In that climate, a day and half old dead body is absolutely, horrifyingly smelly and bug filled. For the women to even think that they could place spices and perfumes on the body was a show of how much they loved and adored Jesus. No one would open a tomb that soon. You couldn't physically stand it. But there they were, with their bowls and baskets, ready to take care of their Lord. What incredible faith.

Read the next part only if you want to get the CSI details. Otherwise, skip to the Psalms.
"Let me tell you briefly what putrefactive changes are. When a person dies, his body can no longer defend itself against the bacteria - both inside and outside his body. Our environment is full of millions of bacteria although we can not see them. If they could have their way, they would invade our body immediately. But the defence mechanisms of our body keep them at bay. After death they attack the body both from outside and within and cause it to deteriorate. By their actions on the body tissues they form a gas called hydrogen sulphide. When eggs get rotten, same gas is liberated. The peculiar smell of rotten eggs is due the hydrogen sulphide only. This gas interacts with the haemoglobin present within the red blood cells, and forms a greenish coloured compound sulphmethaemoglobin. This compound is greenish black in colour. Because of this the body assumes a greenish colour. The first part of body to become green is the right lower side of abdomen. This colour appears 12 to 24 hours after death. Thus if we see the greenish discolouration of the right lower side of the abdomen in a dead body, we can say that the person must have been dead for at least 12-24 hours. In the next 24 hours i.e. after 36 to 48 hours after death, the whole body turns greenish-black. Around the same time another peculiar change appears in the dead body. It is called marbling. In this change several parts of the body such as legs, arms, shoulders and chest show long tortuous greenish coloured streaks. These streaks are nothing but veins, which are stained by the sulpmethaemoglobin produced within the body. After death, the red blood cells break down, and haemoglobin from them is released. This haemoglobin combines with hydrogen sulphide gas and forms sulphmethaemoglobin as already explained. This compound then stains the vessels of the skin, in much the same way ink stains your hands. Thus the veins, which are normally invisible become visible as green streaks. Marbling begins in about 24 hours and is well pronounced in 36-48 hours. When I see pronounced marbling in a dead body, I can say that the person must have been dead for almost 36 to 48 hours!

Another putrefactive change is the appearance of gases. When bacteria feed on body tissues, they release foul smelling gases. These gases collect beneath the tissues, and bloat the features of the dead person. The tongue may begin to protrude. The features may become so distorted that even close relatives find it hard to identify the dead body.

After about 36 hours, flies lay eggs around the natural orifices of the body such as nose, mouth, eyes, ears, anus and vagina. These places provide a safe nidus for the young ones of insects and they choose these places quite instinctively. In the next 24 hours, maggots come out of these eggs. These maggots look very much like miniature earthworms. Each maggot is of the size of a rice grain, and is seen wriggling leisurely. Thousands of such worms may be found wriggling all over the body. This is not a very pleasant sight, and most persons will begin to retch at such a sight. Only a forensic pathologist is well trained to stand such a ghastly sight. These maggots become pupa in the next 4-5 days, and in another 4-5 days, the pupa becomes the adult fly and flies away from the dead body. Thus we can roughly calculate the time of death from the appearance of these maggots."

Psalm 99:1-9
Thank goodness that we have a glory psalm after Jesus' death. I think that is important to remember when we are in the depths of some of these passages -- God is the King and He rules over everything, including death, injustice, and cruelty.
And He is a good God. He loves justice, mercy, and kindness. He is not vicious or cruel. He forgives us over and over and over. And most of all, He loves us. He loved Gideon. He loved Abimelech. And He loves you and me. How fortunate we are that He is our God.

Selah

Thursday, April 26, 2012

April 27

NT – Luke 23:13-43
Do you ever ponder the two criminals hanging to either side of Jesus? Do you think they were criminals together or were they just convicted at the same time of separate crimes? And what had they done that warranted crucifixion?
Go check out this website that has Josephus’ references to crucifixion. Josephus is our #1 reference to this time period in the Palestine. He was a Jew that turn coated on his fellows during the Jewish revolt. He was an educated, extremely well-connected man who was the sole survivor of a suicide pact and was imprisoned. After this, he had ‘revelation’ that Vespasian would be emperor and was eventually released.
Josephus' Wikipedia Biography

But back to the criminals. Crucifixion is extremely painful. Let’s take the mocker first. When you are in that much pain, how on earth can you be so hateful to someone who is undergoing what you are? I could understand the ‘save yourself and us’ but not the insults. My translation uses the verb ‘hurled’. That is vehement!
And the other criminal. What gave him his compassion for Jesus? And how did he know him?
When you read familiar Bible stories, one way to make them fresh and new for you is to figure out who YOU are in the story. Are you the mocking soldiers who make fun of the faith of others? The people who stood watching? The mocking criminal, the humble criminal?
For me, I see myself as the watching people. I know I should be at the feet of Jesus, weeping like the women. I HOPE I am not the mocking criminal and I know that in my arrogance, I am not the humble criminal. I am kind of a sideline person. One of the things this Bible study is doing is making me realize that God wants ’all in’ people. It isn’t enough to go on Sunday, put your check in the plate and work on a few committees. He expects Life Transformation and He expects me to transform myself and help others. I guess I should also identify people in the story that I WANT to be. I really don’t want to be a wailing woman. That really isn’t my style. I am much more the ‘let’s get things done’ and I am not crazy about crying in public. Maybe when I can figure out who I want to be, I can work on taking on those qualities.
I do love that tag line at the end of the passage and have used it more than once as I sat with the dying “this day, you shall be with me in Paradise.” THIS DAY.

Psalm 97:1-98:9
One of the things I learned in my Interfaith dinners this winter was that they do not use instruments in most Jewish synagogues. Only the most reformed will use instruments and then not during the High Holidays. When I asked why, Sandy from Or Hadash told me that it was because after the Temple was destroyed for good in AD 70, the rabbis said no more instruments.
The psalms mention a lot of instruments including those that are mentioned in today’s scripture – the lyre (or harp), trumpets, and the ram’s horn. Oh, I should mention, there is a special dispensation for the ram’s horn in the synagogue. The shofar is used to bring in the New Year.
Music is a conveyance of worship. However, when the music used in worship is not the music of the times, it is really hard to reach people through it.
I went to Evensong at St Phillips once and thought it was lovely and calming and meditative. That is until the middle schooler behind me started having a ‘when are we leaving, how much longer does the s*** go on, etc. etc. He was not calmed at all. As a matter of fact, it was painful to him.
As much as we would like worship to be just about God, if part of it is painful to the congregants, at least the majority of them, it won’t have the desired effect. Bad preaching, crummy sound system, lousy choir, no choir, out of tune instruments, bad instrumentalist, and probably the very worst of all, bad handbells.
I can say this now, 18 years and another church later, but I played in the world’s worst handbell choir. OMG! They had fights over whether the tablecloths needed to be ironed when really , we needed to be practicing the pieces. Actually, we needed to ditch one family who apparently THOUGHT they were musical but really had no rhythm and dang sure couldn’t read music. But we had the nicest choir director and after all, those ladies had sewed those tablecloths. But we were AWFUL.
Last weekend, Mt Vernon dedicated the handchimes to Dorothy Michie, one of the sweetest ladies ever to walk the face of the earth. Dorothy died last year but prior to that, she was a staunch choir member, gifted piano player and excellent handbell player. (But she wouldn’t have thrown out the ladies from my previous church either. She really was the sweetest woman.)
The handbell choir played the most beautiful piece. No one who sat there would think they weren’t doing their part for worship. May it always be so.

Here is one of the few contemporary Christian songs that I like.



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May your mediations be fruitful.

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

April 26

OT and Psalm
Judges 6:1-40 and Psalm 95:1-96:13
Judge #5 is Gideon. And yes, before anyone asks, this is who the Gideon Bible is named for. I read up on how the organization got started and this is a quote:
The organization describes its link to the story of Gideon:

" Gideon was a man who was willing to do exactly what God wanted him to do, regardless of his own judgment as to the plans or results. Humility, faith, and obedience were his great elements of character. This is the standard that The Gideons International is trying to establish in all its members, each man to be ready to do God's will at any time, at any place, and in any way that the Holy Spirit leads. "

Sorry, but when I read the story of Gideon, obedience is not a characteristic that comes shining through. Questioning and doubting are what I read.

But to the scripture.
In my NIV version, the person who visits Gideon flips between the Angel of the Lord and the Lord himself several times. Also, in the Psalm, in the middle, it shifts from third person to first person. No warning, and no antecedents. It just doesn't make sense. I could not find anything in Midrash or commentary regarding either of these instances. I think it is just the ex-teacher in me that doesn't like the change-abouts.

I did however, find an interesting paper on Gideon's name and this further complicates the Gideon Bible stuff.
Click Here to read the paper.

Thank you for taking the time to read along with me.

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

April 25

OT – Judges 4:1-5:31
Judge #4 is Deborah, the wife of Lappidoth. Apparently, Deborah was a ‘real’ judge in the sense that she was adjudicating cases. But clearly, if a WOMAN was adjudicating, even one of such great value (and the Midrash quotes Proverbs 14:1!!! Yesterday’s proverb.), things must really be bad in Israel.
When you read the Midrash on this little gem of a story, wow! Lots of back and forth about what the verses mean.
Here is an encapsulated version of the real Midrash.
Deborah.
What I found most fascinating is the whole question of whether or not Barak is her husband. I just have to say, I have read this story countless times. NEVER did I guess that Barak could be her husband. And this is just one other example of ‘back story’ that we miss being in English ‘the wife of Lappidoth’. Wick maker. Just an amazing piece that we don’t understand in our Christian Bibles because we don’t have the Rabbis.

The commentaries on Deborah say that the Song of Deborah is one of the oldest piece of literature in the Bible. It was either written by Deborah or at least an eyewitness. The historical stuff is part of the compilation from David’s time.

NT – Luke 22:35-53
Do you find it amazing that even at the betrayal, the disciples do not understand what Jesus is saying? Pack your bag. Get a weapon. They are coming for you. Jesus meant his disciples not himself. They thought he was sticking around. They either a)didn’t listen or b) didn’t believe him. I am planning on pondering that idea tonight in my sleep. What are your thoughts? Didn’t Jesus follow through with everything he told his disciples he would do? Or did they just think all that talk about dying was double speak?

Proverbs 14:3-4
“Where there is no oxen, the manger is empty, but from the strength of an ox comes an abundant harvest. “
Take care of your tools and your tools will take care of you. Don’t buy cheap tools. Buy the most expensive you can and take care of them. Treat your workers like gold and they will treat your customers the same way.
These were all buzzy mantras of the one management course my father made me take at UGA. He also made me take an accounting course and that was a disaster. I find it very amusing that in my job life, I do accounting and compliance work and a good bit of management. Definitely in my home life, those two are big parts of my responsibility. So, do I believe the proverb? Well, I would like not to believe. I would like to think you could start with the bare bones and create something memorable. But I have come to think that this just isn’t possible. You need a good working base. And then you need to take care of it. So, where do you get this base? Is this our education? Our home values that are instilled? Or cooperation with one another to help when and where we can?
I think I squandered a good bit of my base. I think a lot of young people do. I hope I have learned my lesson.

Peace and grace to you all.

Monday, April 23, 2012

April 24

OT – Judges 2:10-3:31
Rashi makes the statement that it was not the fault of the generation who grew up not knowing the Lord. It was their PARENTS’ sin. Which is why the Lord did not kill them as he killed some of the idol worshippers during the time of Moses. It is the first duty of Jewish parents to do what? Teach the Shema to their children: Deuteronomy 6:4-9
“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.[a] 5 Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.”

But the Children of Israel did not do that and so they fell into idol worship – specifically of Baal and Asteroth. I will talk more about them in a few days.
Today, I want to talk about Judge #2 – Ehud.
Ehud, the scriptures tell us, was left-handed. Being left-handed in a Semitic culture is a huge problem. Children who use their left hand over the right, were routinely bound so that the left was unavailable. If that was ineffectual, there was always the beating route. Left-handedness was associated not only with uncleanliness but also shiftiness, non-trustworthiness. You wanted to be on the ‘right side’ of the king. That was the top spot.
The bottom line reason for this is the lack of water. Cleansing after a bowel movement was done with the left hand. And so it became truly unclean. Since water was a scarcity in this part of the world, it was a true problem. Even today, left-handedness is an undesirable trait and children are ‘discouraged’ from using the left.
Ehud, however it happened, escaped the ‘bounds’ of childhood with his handedness intact. This allowed him to use his left hand to stab the king of Moab mortally. The scriptures say the king was so obese, the fat closed in around the hilt. After killing the king, Ehud escaped with subterfuge and routed the Moabites. The peace lasted 80 years. Ehud, the left-handed, was STRONG!

NT – Luke 22:14-34
Oh, oh, oh, my heart always turns on that little verse: “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat.”
My mother had a sifter that we used to sift the flour before we baked. (Here is an admission of how very far I have fallen from my mother’s teachings. I DO NOT EVEN OWN A SIFTER. I bake all the time.)
We always used bleached White Lily flour except for the pound cakes which used Swan’s Down cake flour.
Occasionally, we would find a rock or husk in the flour. Maybe the odd looking hard stuff. But not normally. This is not the type of sifting that Jesus is talking about.
Jesus is talking about the threshing of the wheat from the stalks. You literally beat the stalks until the wheat kernels are released from the stalks. Then you take pitchforks and throw the stalks into a fire. The leftover wheat kernels are pounded again, to release the chaff. Then the pile is placed in huge baskets with small slotted holes and the wheat is tossed into the air. The chaff is blown away and the wheat is kept back.
Sifting involves beating, burning, pounding and throwing away. No one was going to bake a cake for Peter. *He* was the wheat kernel.



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Proverbs 14:1-2
The Wise Woman builds her house, but with her own hands, the foolish one tears hers down.
This is from Rashi:
“In truth, the oneness of the house is more dependent on the mother than on the father. A wise mother can, if her husband be dead or neglectful of his duty, always keep the house together; but if the house-wife has neither understanding nor good-will for her calling, then the best will of the house-father cannot hinder the dissolution of the house, prudence and patience only conceal and mitigate the process of dissolution - folly, viz., of the house-wife, always becomes more and more, according to the degree in which this is a caricature of her calling, the ruin of the house. “
Selah


Sunday, April 22, 2012

April 23

OT -- Judges 1:1-2:9
Today we start Judges, one of my all time favorite books of the Bible. At least it was until I started doing this Bible in a Year stuff. Now, I realize how I have cherry-picked my way through Bible readings.
One of the reasons I 'love' Judges is the cast of characters. The book is populated with all sorts of misfits, drunkards, strong women, and downright crazy folk. We'll see if I still feel that way by the time I get finished.
Several of the commentaries that I read about this book say Judges was written during David's reign, mostly as a compliation of the folk stories that the people of Israel told about their leaders during this period. There are 12 judges mentioned, 11 men and 1 woman. Six are described in detail. These 12 judges were not judges so much in the legal sense, they were leaders and covenant enforcers whenever the children of Israel strayed. Miracles and awesome accomplishments are detailed throughout the book.
Also written during this same period (and probably by one of the many authors that contributed to the book) was Ruth. If you have a moment while reading Judges, read her too.

Psalm 90:1-91:16
In church today, Joe B did the children's sermon. The McAdam clan is quite the critic of children's sermons in general but all 3 of us who were there gave it 'the best children's sermon we have heard in a long time, possibly forever'.
It was a submitted question by one of the children -- Gill, I think --, who asked "who named God, God?". OH my Gosh! But Joe B totally rose to the occasion and did a brilliant job. If you want to see it, scroll to minute 17 on the service.




Our psalm today attempts to answer that very same question only it a time sense. If God is timeless, what time was it before there was God?
These are really high, really deep questions that the psalmist asked. If Gill were sitting next to me at the computer right now, I would tell him that he is in very great company. Or else the psalmist is in lofty company of a 9ish little boy who asked the very same question.
Elizabeth preached today and she also picked up on the 'grand' question. She said our very little human minds cannot comprehend the hugeness of God. Every attempt to picture him, leaves something else out. And usually a lot more is left out than in.
The psalmist chose to use the vehicle of a song or chant to express his inability to get his arms around God, the sense of time, the intensity of his anger and the overwhelmingness of his love. Gill used a mailbox. I write this blog. What do you do?

Saturday, April 21, 2012

April 22

NT – Luke 21:1-28
One of the byproducts of reading the Bible in the Year is having to read passages that make me very uncomfortable. Some of them I have read before. Some of them I WAS supposed to have read and skipped over. Some, I knew nothing about and have cringed reading them now. We are 1/3 of the way through and I think and I think I can honestly say, I have spent more time with the uncomfortable passages than I have with the ‘love and light’ stuff.
Today’s passage is an uncomfortable one. The Jesus here is not compassionate, not understanding, not a healer. He is a dye in the wool prophet and his prophecy is not a good one. Alfred made the comment a few days ago that Jesus was named for Joshua and that is true. In our OT passage, Joshua makes the statement (vs. 19), ‘You are not able to serve the Lord. He is a holy God; he is a jealous God. ‘ Joshua knew that the Children of Israel would find other gods and worship them. And he prophesies the bad stuff that will happen in generalities. Jesus is graphic. “You will be betrayed even by parents…Jerusalem will be trampled on….men will faint from terror “. Scary stuff. Uncomfortable stuff.
Most commentaries say this passage was meant to prepare the disciples for the destruction of Jerusalem. I am going to take a different tack. I think this passage is meant for us. It costs to follow Jesus. Usually, in our snug little worlds, the cost is low. Maybe some parties are missed because you think things may get a little wild. Maybe some friends drop you because you are ‘too religious’ and spend too much time at church and too little time at the lake.
But I think Jesus is saying that there will come a time when the cost is high. Like your life high. If you choose him, they may kill you for it. Those two kids killed that girl in Columbine for being a Jesus girl. There are missionaries and aid workers who get killed for being Jesus people. But picking Jesus means that he is on your side. They may kill the body but he has your soul.
Let’s hope that when the end comes, we pick right. And that, my fellow Bible readers, is why it makes me uncomfortable. I don’t know that I will.

Proverbs 13:20-23
He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm.
Watch your friends. Smart, caring, compassionate. Interesting, funny, loving. Big check. Stupid, self-centered, one dimensional, mean. Not so great.
What about your spouse or partner? Another uncomfortable silence in blog world.
It is prom season here at the McAdam household. Matthew ‘s was last week. Cole’s is tonight. Both of them have lovely young women as their girlfriends.
But lovely fades. Sometimes, it is replaced by true inner and outer beauty. Sometimes it is not. I pray that my sons choose wisely and look deeply at the true attributes of the ones they choose as life partners because if having a bad friend brings harm, what does having a bad wife do???



Friday, April 20, 2012

April 21

OT – Joshua 22:21-23:16
I guess I was taken in just as the rest of the Israelites in terms of what that altar meant! I did believe that they were getting ready to worship Baal or Astarte or whoever the current ‘god de jour’ was. This is cynical of me, but I have to say, I just don’t quite believe their story…. Maybe I just hear too many stories in my ‘real life’ and find it hard to buy into this Bible one.
Joshua, just like Caleb, according to the Midrash I am reading on this section never ‘failed’ or grew elderly. At the time of Moses’ death, he was 80 years old and continued to lead the charge for eradicating the current inhabitants of The Promised Land for 10 years. Then they had a ‘long time’ (Hebrew for several decades according to my old friend Rashi) when Joshua gives this speech. This shows God’s grace to Joshua. It probably hastened God’s plan to conquer the Promised Land too. Joshua seems to have been an extraordinary leader.


NT—Luke 20:27-47
Look at verse 46: “Beware of the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and love to be greeted in the marketplaces and have the most important seats in the synagogues. The devour widows’ houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. Such men will be punished most severely.”


The imagery here is intense. This quote immediately follows some of those same teachers trying once again to trip Jesus up. When I read about the flowing robes and the bustling marketplaces, I can almost see the crowded shops in the Suq and smell all the aromatic spices, and see the camels and pack mules that cart belongings about. Sprinkle in a few Roman soldiers in Spartacus getups. What about you?
But that really doesn’t bring it to the 21st century which is where I am. And Jesus is talking to this ‘teacher of the law’ just like he was talking to that Sadduce. And my flowing robes and important seat in the synagogue? Probably would have to be my ‘church clothes’ and the ‘McAdam pew’.
I don’t think I have ever devoured a widow’s home but then again, have I ever saved one?
Walking the Jesus path is tough. It was tough then, too. But we are called to do what we can where we can. And that means not putting on airs and asking for ‘special’ just because we are Jesus walkers.

Thursday, April 19, 2012

April 20


NT – Luke 20:1-26
Roman architecture is a marvel. There are buildings that still stand, on major fault lines and volcanic islands 2000+ years later. Here in America, we have none of that. I spent 6 weeks in England as a 16 year old and there were the Roman ruins and then Victorian architecture. Nothing in between.
Why was Roman building so incredible?
The true secrets are the arch and concrete. Romans learned to build an arch rather than post and lintel which allowed them to greatly expand the height and weight the buildings could stand. This weight allowance created the ability to make aqueducts and sewers which allowed the great cities of the Mediterranean to be built, and maintained. Without a water source and a way to remove waste, cities are not possible for any length of time.
Here is a Yale professor with her introductory session on Roman architecture. I learned a lot but it is long. Click here if the Video does not appear in your email.
In our scripture today, Jesus compares himself to the Cornerstone.
What exactly does the cornerstone do? The cornerstone is the ultimate, finishing stone that holds the tension for both sides of the arch.
Why would Jesus compare himself to a cornerstone, and one that is devised by a stone that the interior construction was rejected? The rough cut, often fractured and less than stone, that made up the interior was ugly, weak without the concrete, and dependent on other stones for its rigidity Interior stones are covered with a brick or marble veneer and could be very bad indeed. If a stone was rejected for this, where it wouldn’t even be seen, it must have been bad. And then to be chosen for the Cornerstone, an upside down construction indeed. Another upside down kingdom vision and one that his audience at the time would have easily connected to. The rejection of Jesus came at the hands of the Pharisees, supposedly the great builders of the Jewish law and faith. It brings you to think what the two sides of the 'arch' that Jesus is holding in tension are? Jews and Gentiles?
As an aside, different translations say cornerstone, capstone (which is the top finishing stones of a wall), best stone. I learned this verse as Keystone which is the finishing stone of an arch. I think Jesus meant a very important stone indeed whether it was finishing or the tension point.

OT – Joshua 21:1-22:20
My only comment about this section of Joshua is how long it has taken for someone to be rebellious against God. Joshua must have been a better one to keep the children of Israel firm than Moses!!


Blessings to you and yours.

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

April 19

Psalm 88
Vs: 9B-12
I call to you, O Lord, every day;
I spread my hands to you.
Do you show your wonders to the dead?
Do those who are dead rise up and praise you?
Selah
Is your love declared in the grave,
Your faithfulness in Destruction?
Are your wonders known in the place of darkness,
Or your righteous deeds in the land of oblivion?

At my ecumenical dinners that Don and I went to this winter, we discussed some of the differences between Judaism and Christianity. Most of them I knew. Including that most orthodox Jews do not believe in ‘heaven’ per se. Sandy, one of the most learned of the Jews at my table, said it really was just not the focus. But even he was uncomfortable with the ‘what comes next’. He said that it was a hard one to wrestle with and with all the stuff in movies and books, Jewish parents are always fielding those questions. His stock answers are that now is what matters and the rest is up to God.
The psalmist was Jewish. He was/is concerned with what happens next. *I* am concerned with what happens next.
Most of the time, I buy the heaven stuff lock, stock and barrel.
But there are times…..

One of my heroes of all times is Carl Sagan. I loved his PBS series Cosmos. I loved his view on science, the universe and how incredibly awesome and awestruck he was by all the stuff he was learning, saw and did as a scientist.
Carl Sagan was an atheist. His wife Ann Druyan is a devout Christian. When Carl was dying of cancer, lots of people wrote to him and said they were praying for him. His response was that it sure comforted his wife, and he hoped it comforted them but it really didn’t matter much to him. He was just going back to being “star stuff”.
That such a mind, such an intelligent, living breathing being would just vanish ‘pooff’ hurts.
That I would just vanish, hurts.

Do you wrestle with this question or is it firmly fixed in your mind?

One of my facebook friends sent me the link to this pastor’s blog post.
Go check it out.

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

April 18

NT – Luke 19:1-27
It is the little details in Luke that make him so readable. And I will add, make Mark so dry. The story of Zacchaeus is a great example of that. We know ‘why’ Z wanted to see him, we know ‘why’ he couldn’t, and we know how he solved his problem. We also know what he did for a living, how well he did it, that he was Jewish and how his neighbors felt about him. We learn all this in 8 verses.
And this is a small story in Luke. But rich, rich, rich in the sort of things people who live in a visual world need.
This is not a fair comparison, but Mark doesn’t even have 19 chapters.
If we use the story of Blind Bartimaeus, basically all we know is that he is blind. No whys, no who or what he is, just his name and his condition. Jesus heals him, just as he healed Zacchaeus, by their faith in who Jesus was. But the story in Mark is stark.
And the climbing of the sycamore/fig tree. Okay, I have 3 fig trees in my yard. There is no climbing of their branches unless you are a very slim kitty cat. My fat Nicky cat would break the branches.

But that brought up all the verses we have read about the figs so far in our study. Adam and Eve with the fig leaves, Moses with the acceptable offerings included figs, the promise that the land would yield fruit, all the fig tree cursing.

Go check out this website and read more about WHY figs were so important in the Bible. And just so you know, having eaten my serious fair share of figs, I can attest to the digestive properties of the fig. May that give me long, healthy life.
Fig Website
Psalm 87
“This one was born in Zion.”
I have friends who are British who go back to England to have their babies even though they now live in America. Why? Because it is complicated to be a British citizen if you weren’t born on British soil. But also, because, they want their kids born in the homeland.
Seems the idea originated 2500 years earlier, at least according to the Psalm. This one was born in Zion, that makes him special. These others, hmmm, they were born during the wandering. Not so special.
Where were you born and was it special or just ho-hum, another baby? Somehow, to the mamas, I have to believe that whether you were born in London or Atlanta, in the desert or across the Jordan, you were special. Maybe not special enough for the pack, but special enough for her.

Grace and peace to you all.

Monday, April 16, 2012

April 17

Psalm 86
Vs. 15 "But you O Lord are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness."
That verse sounded so familiar. Turns out it is in Jonah, Joshua, and also in Psalm 103. Which led me to search out other authors who may have commented on those verses. Here is a blog post by a New Zealander about it that was intriguing. I was especially struck by her statement that we live in a time of Grace. Not sure that I agree with her but I will give that some thought.
Click here to go to her blog post.
http://verses10.blogspot.com/2012/02/compassionate-and-gracious-god.html

NT -- Luke 18:18-43
At vs. 35, the blind man asks what is happening as he could not see but heard the hubbub. He was told "Jesus of Nazareth", to which he replied, "Jesus, son of David!" Earlier in our study, I listed out the various names that Jesus is called. Somewhere along the line, I found a site that said 'son of David' was a special tag -- it meant the Messiah. Now, 1st century Jews thought of the Messiah like a liberator. David liberated much of Israel. We read in Joshua today that the clan of Judah was unable to 'dislodge' the Jebusites from Jerusalem. Well, David did and moved himself right in and built the capitol! That is what 1st century Jews expected only they wanted the Romans 'dislodged'.
But back to the blind man. How did he KNOW that Jesus was the Messiah? Maybe someone told him. Maybe his 'demon' knew. But so often, these 'less thans' recognize Jesus right away while the 'religious' don't get it. Even the disciples (vs. 34, just before!!!!) don't get it. Makes me think that we should be hanging out with the 'less thans' a little more often and then we might really 'see' Jesus.
Yesterday, I went to the Session meeting with my confirmand, Sarah N to present her project and be examined in order to join the church. I was absolutely floored by the faith statements of these 8 13 year olds. Okay, some of it I disagreed with, but heck, I disagree with my doctoral candidate pastor almost every Sunday on something! And the way these kids stood up for themselves was remarkable. Now, I have 2 boys -- one is 18 and he went through the confirmation process. I went to the Session examination. I do not remember his group being this sure and this verbal about wanting the church to relax and use media more effectively and to be more open to all people. These were clear calls to action. It will be interesting to see if anything comes out of this. If Mt Vernon knows what is good for them, they will pull these kids in small groups and mine their incredible brains for ideas, thoughts and criticisms. And not all their statements were critical. Some were very positive and quite poignant. But in order to keep this generation, things are going to have to change. These teens are the 'less thans' of our church. I am hanging out with them more often.
By the way, my Sarah kicked butt!! Her project was hymnal markers made from recycled milk cartons. She is amazing!!!!!

Live in the abounding love of God.

Sunday, April 15, 2012

April 16

OT – Joshua 13:1-14:15
Just caught myself doing an old habit – skimming the reading since it either
a. Bores me
b. Upsets me
So, I am going back to doing what I agreed to do. Read the scripture. Be back in a few minutes.
I did learn something and as usual, came away with some questions that I had to look up.
The big question was why Joseph’s sons split into two tribes. Here is an explanation from the Midrash about this scripture.
When Jacob was dying, Joseph brought his sons to him to be blessed. Jacob blessed the younger one (Ephraim) with his right hand even though he had to cross his arms to do so. Joseph objected but Jacob refused to change saying ‘he too will become a people’. Gen 48:17-19
Sylvia’s response – Jacob, you have done it again. He split those boys so that no one could be the leader and the other the follower and eventually the tribe split. The sins of the father, visited again, and again and again.
My other question was really a why one – why was it so important to know which tribes got what place? We know that by the time Jesus was alive, people had moved from place to place and while they knew which tribe they were from, they didn’t necessarily live in the ‘allotment’. This one I am still researching. One possible idea is from James Michener’ s The Source. The Land means everything. Everything is about the land. Who holds it, who wants it, who is willing to die for it.
I have to say, reading two articles in the paper today, one was about a millionaire funding 54 poor children’s college and the other was about people dying in Israel over the land.

Proverbs 13:7-8
‘A man’s riches may ransom his life, but a poor man hears no threat. ‘
I remember reading a story about Andrew Young when he had moved back to the West End of Atlanta after his tour as Ambassador to the United Nations. The reporter commented on the disheveled appearance of the front yard. Young said that was deliberate since he had talked his wife into moving into the West End but he couldn’t talk her into being robbed. She had scruples about that, he said. I thought it was very funny at the time. But it wasn’t until one of my Bible study friends’ husband moved her, 6 months pregnant with a toddler already into a house in East Atlanta, squashed between two houses of ill repute (her terms not mine), that I understood what these two families were trying to do. They were trying to take back their neighborhoods but they weren’t willing to put their families in harm’s way by advertising their money and positions.
I am not that brave.

Psalm 85
Do you know Matthew Henry? Here is his commentary on Psalm 85:
“Sooner or later, God will speak peace to his people. If he do not command outward peace, yet he will suggest inward peace; speaking to their hearts by his Spirit. Peace is spoken only to those who turn from sin. All sin is folly, especially backsliding; it is the greatest folly to return to sin. Surely God's salvation is nigh, whatever our difficulties and distresses are. Also, his honour is secured, that glory may dwell in our land. And the truth of the promises is shown by the Divine mercy in sending the Redeemer. The Divine justice is now satisfied by the great atonement. Christ, the way, truth, and life, sprang out of the earth when he took our nature upon him, and Divine justice looked upon him well pleased and satisfied. For his sake all good things, especially his Holy Spirit, are given to those who ask him. Through Christ, the pardoned sinner becomes fruitful in good works, and by looking to and trusting in the Saviour's righteousness, finds his feet set in the way of his steps. Righteousness is a sure guide, both in meeting God, and in following him.”
Matthew Henry (1662-1714) was an English Presbyterian minister who wrote an exhaustive commentary on the Old and New Testaments scriptures. He was a careful and ‘sensible’ writer and the commentary was for devotional purposes. I’ve ordered one from Amazon.

Prayer Concerns:
This time of year is so busy for so many people, myself included. I hope you will join me in praying that we put God first. Even if all you have time to do is read the scripture, do that. Even if it is like my first go round on the OT. Better that, than none at all. Let’s all stay in the Word together, of one accord.
Peace and blessings to you.

Saturday, April 14, 2012

April 15

Proverbs 13:5-6
April 15 is tax day in the United States. This year it falls on a Sunday and there is a holiday in the District of Columbia on the 16th so actual taxes aren't due until the 17th. I find it highly ironic that our proverb today is "Righteousness guards the man of integrity, but wickedness overthrows the sinner." This Wiki answers says 30-40% of people cheat. That is an amazing number! One out of three!
In my real job, I deal occasionally with the IRS. Those folks scare me. It would be a cold day in hell before I would intentionally falsify income taxes.
But 1 in 3 tells me that there are a lot of folks who do not feel the same way. And let me just say, I am no fan of taxes.
And the whole concept of having to worry about the cheat. I have more than enough to worry about without adding to that load! I do just fine on piling on my worry plate without that.
So for all of you who haven't filed their taxes and are the 1 in 3, let me just say this -- don't do it. File right, even if you end up owing and you can't pay right away. Let righteousness guard you. And may the sleep odds be forever in your favor.

Psalm 84

Another Psalm that has been turned into modern, well, relatively modern music. This is a Requiem by Johannes Brahms using psalm 84.


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Just as an aside, a Requiem is the Mass for the Dead. The word requiem means 'rest or repose'. Requiem comes from the opening words of the mass "Lord, grant them eternal rest". And I really couldn't resist this one although it has nothing to do with our scripture reading, but this is my favorite Requiem and my favorite movement:
Faure' Requiem: The Santus (which means to make holy)




Luke 17:11-37

This is just an observation, but thank goodness bad manners have been a constant, even from the days of Jesus!
Today at my farmer's market, *2* customers said please. And No One said thank you. Not even the ones that tried every single cheese I had and bought none of them. It irritated me a bit until I read the scripture tonight.
Don't you think *you* would have come back and said THANK YOU for healing you of leprosy???? But only one.
And if this is a cautionary tale for us, what does that tell us about our own manners? Do we say please and thank you? How about to our spouses/partners, parents and children? Co-Workers?
Here is a task for you. Today, carry an index card and make hash marks every time you say please and every time you say thank you. How many did you get? Do you need to ramp it up? Let's don't be the 9 lepers who got the cure but weren't grateful.

Peace and grace to you on this Sunday.

Friday, April 13, 2012

April 14

NT – luke 16:19-17:10
Here is what Wikipedia has to say about Lazarus, the beggar and the interpretations of the story:

Interpretations


Illustration by Gustave Doré of the Rich man and Lazarus.
There are different views on the historicity and origin of the story of the Rich Man and Lazarus.[8] The story is unique to Luke and is not thought to come from the hypothetical Q document.[1]
[edit] As a literal, historical event
Some Christians view the story of Lazarus and the Rich Man as an actual event which was related by Jesus to his followers;[9] this was generally the view of the medieval Church. According to this view, this story is not a parable but literal biography. Supporters of this view point to the amount of detail in the story. For example, in no other parable does Jesus give a character's personal name, but refers to the characters as "a certain man", "a sower", etc.
[edit] As a parable created by Jesus
Other Christians consider that this is a parable created by Jesus and told to his followers.[10] Tom Wright[11] and Joachim Jeremias[12] both treat it as a "Parable". Proponents of this view argue that the story of Lazarus and the rich man has much in common with other stories which are agreed upon parables, both in language and content (e.g. the reversal of fortunes, the use of antithesis, and concern for the poor).
[edit] Luther, a parable of the conscience
Martin Luther taught that the story was a parable about rich and poor in this life and the details of the afterlife not to be taken literally:
"Therefore we conclude that the bosom of Abraham signifies nothing else than the Word of God,.... the hell here mentioned cannot be the true hell that will begin on the day of judgment. For the corpse of the rich man is without doubt not in hell, but buried in the earth; it must however be a place where the soul can be and has no peace, and it cannot be corporeal. Therefore it seems to me, this hell is the conscience, which is without faith and without the Word of God, in which the soul is buried and held until the day of judgment, when they are cast down body and soul into the true and real hell." (Church Postil 1522-23)[13]
[edit] Lightfoot, a parable against the Pharisees


Illustration of Lazarus at the rich man's gate by Fyodor Bronnikov, 1886.
John Lightfoot treated the parable as a parody of Pharisee belief concerning the Bosom of Abraham, and from the connection of Abraham saying the rich man's family would not believe even if the parable Lazarus was raised, to the priests failure to believe in the resurrection of Christ:
"Any one may see, how Christ points at the infidelity of the Jews, even after that himself shall have risen again. From whence it is easy to judge what was the design and intention of this parable" (From the Talmud and Hebraica, Volume 3‎)[14]
E. W. Bullinger in the Companion Bible cited Lightfoot's comment above,[15] expanding it to include coincidence to lack of belief in the resurrection of the historical Lazarus (John 12:10, see below). Additionally Bullinger considered that the lack of identification "parable" by Luke is because contains a parody of the view of the afterlife in the story:
"It is not called a parable because it cites a notable example of the Pharisee's tradition which had been brought from Babylon. See many other examples in Lightfoot vol.xii. pp.159-68" (Companion Bible, p.1488)
[edit] Drioux, a parable against the Sadducees
An alternative explanation of the parable is a satirical parable against the Sadducees. One writer to identify the Sadducees as the target was Johann Nepomuk Sepp.[16] The arguments in favour of identification of the Rich Man as the Sadducees are (1) the wearing of purple and fine linen, priestly dress,[17] (2) the reference to "five brothers in my father's house" as an allusion to Caiaphas' father in law Annas, and his five sons who also served as high priests according to Josephus,[18] (3) Abraham's statement in the parable that they would not believe even if he raised Lazarus, and then the fulfillment that when Jesus did raise Lazarus of Bethany the Sadducees not only did not believe, but attempted to have Lazarus killed again: "So the chief priests made plans to put Lazarus to death as well" (John 12:10). This last interpretation had wide circulation in France during the 1860-'90s as a result of having been included in the notes of the pictorial Bible of Abbé Drioux[19]
[edit] Perry, a parable of a new covenant
Simon Perry has argued that the Lazarus of the parable (an abbreviated transcript of 'Eleazer') refers to Eleazer of Damascus, Abraham's servant. In Genesis 15, God says to Abraham "this man will not be your heir" (Gen 15:4). Perry argues that this is why Lazarus is outside the gates of Abraham's perceived descendent. By inviting Lazarus to Abraham's bosom, Jesus is redefining the nature of the covenant. It also explains why the rich man assumes Lazarus is Abraham's servant.[20]


For me, this parable has always been a cautionary tale. Since the real Lazarus is no longer living, I don’t really care if Jesus is talking to Caiaphus or not. But I do care about my own skin.
Let’s face it, I live a very comfortable life. I am only hungry when I am trying to diet. I live in temperature controlled, smooshy bed, nice comfy chair to do my computer work – my computer!! – and most importantly of all, I am healthy. So is most of my family.
But there are many who do not have one or any of these luxuries. I clearly am the rich man in the story. This is another one of those checklist things – feed the hungry, bind up their wounds, visit them in their infirmities. But more importantly, care in the moment!
I suspect, like so many other stories in the Bible, that this one has a serious back story. I think I will put it on my list to discuss with Jesus if I make it to heaven – through the narrow gate, don’t you know.

Thursday, April 12, 2012

April 13

OT -- Joshua 7:16-9:2
My NIV says that the tribe of Judah, the clan of Zerhaites, the family of Zimri, and Achan were 'taken'. The Message says 'singled out'. New International says 'chosen'. The true meaning of the Hebrew word is to choose.
I pondered for a while why NIV did not use it. Here is what I finally came up with. "Chosen" in the Bible has such a positive meaning. Moses was The Chosen One. The Children of Israel were God's Chosen People. God Chose David, and stuck with him through thick and thin.
Achan was bad. When he 'chose', he chose the wrong side. And it cost him. And not just him, all his children and livestock. Didn't say anything about wives in my Bible. Maybe they were dead? But all his sons and daughters.
Here again, The Godfather gives a peek into why. Leave the son alive and he will seek revenge. Even 40 years later. If they all get stoned, you won't have to worry about them growing up with 'bad' seed or 'bad' feelings.
This is a very bloody part of the Bible.
Unfortunately for me, I have no Rashi to turn to for help. My Stone Chumash ends with Deuteronomy. What will I do??
I emailed one of my rabbi friends and he said "not to worry. I will leave you a stack of commentary for the rest of the scriptures." A stack? "Yes, what you have been reading from is nothing as far as Midrash. Wait until you see what I have for you!" Which I will go pick up tomorrow. Can't wait.

NT -- Luke 16:1-18
Okay, not my favorite Luke passages. But then I remembered that this is part of the Lost sets. Go back and start reading from Luke 15:1 through 16:18.
REmember that Jesus is making fun of the Pharisees by saying obvious foolishness that they are agreeing to. Remember?
Of course the kingdom of heaven will be populated by people who cheat their masters!! Of course it will!!
NO!
These are what Jesus is comparing the Pharisees to. THEY wouldn't go after a lost sheep. But God would. THEY wouldn't help an old woman find her 1/10 of her estate. But God would. THEY wouldn't let a thief like the dishonest manager into heaven. But God would.
God's population is not the one of the holier-than-thou. His is the population of the stumbling, the sick, and oppressed. Who make giant mistakes but are really sorry and try to do better. Fall down, ask for help, and then keep going.
We are God's population when we mix and mingle with this crowd and admit that we are one of them.
Perfect. Who can attain it? No one, so you might as well ask for forgiveness and move on.
And is this the perfect Psalm for this Luke passage or what?
Psalm 82
'Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless;
maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed.
Rescue the weak and the needy;
deliver them from the hand of the wicked."
Selah!

Much love and gratefulness for this community. I hope you have a splendid weekend and enjoy the beauty of our world!



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Wednesday, April 11, 2012

April 12

OT – Joshua 5:1-7:15
Just sayin’ but I bet Joshua was not a popular man when he came around with the knife….

Check out this marketing video using Noah’s Ark and the Walls of Jericho. If your email doesn’t display YouTube, click here.

NT: Luke 15:1-32
Jesus tells these 3 ‘lost’ stories. In each one of them, he makes us out to be foolish right from the get –go. No shepherd leaves 99 for the one. No woman has a party that costs loads when she finds a small coin. And Leviticus 25:47-54 tells us WHY no Israelite man would have allowed himself to be sold and his family not redeem him. Here is what Rashi has to say about that verse in Leviticus:
“The ultimate degradation is for a Jew to be sold as a slave to a non-Jewish resident of Israel. In that unpleasant case, the Torah places a responsibility upon his kinsmen to redeem him, but they must do so without depriving the owner of his legitimate property rights. “The scenario that Jesus outlines simply would not have happened and everyone listening would have known that . But there the Pharisees are shaking their heads and looking wise. I don’t want to give away the end of the story but once those Pharisees figured out Jesus was making them look stupid, they got mad again and started talking and planning Jesus’ ultimate demise. Which is just what Jesus wanted. This is a very strange way to run a religion.

Thanks for your kind words today regarding my lack of post. I will tell you, it is hard not to go back and read yesterday’s. But that is the rule. I am not after perfection, I am after learning limits and doing the best I can.
So for any of you that are still in the ‘perfect’ read mode, I salute you and wish you continued success. It is hard for me not to try for that!

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

April 11

I am sorry to have to break my string, but I just did not have time to do the reading today.

Monday, April 9, 2012

April 10

OT -- Deuteronomy 34:1-Joshua 2:24
Moses died and God buried him. Here is Bible trivia for you. God buries no one else in the Bible. He takes a few up to heaven without dying but nobody gets buried by God.
There is tremendous significance in that. God clearly had such great respect for Moses. And Moses really, really, really wanted to go to The Promised Land. God refused to relent. It really seemed sort of trivial to me, the whole whapping of the rod on the stone when he was supposed to just tap. And Moses gave up so much to be God's mouthpiece. Rashi says Moses gave up sex with his oh so beautiful Midian wife, Zipporah. And think of the squabbles the man had to listen to and judge.
Even at the end, when God took Moses up to Mt Nebo and showed him it all, and Moses was still strong, but he didn't get to go. I feel sorry for Moses. One of the medieval rabbis Or HaChaim says that this is not a sacrifice on Moses' part. According to rabbinic tradition, all souls must go through Israel before they can ascend to heaven. Moses was so great, he did not need to pass through Israel in order to ascend. I leave you to decide which one you agree with.

NT -- Luke 13:22-14:6
Why, after they have spent 10 or so chapters questioning Jesus trying to get him to trip up, are the Pharisees silent? Surely, they aren't getting smarter?

Proverbs 12:26
You do have to be careful in friendships. People will definitely lead you astray or down paths you would not have trod. And don't get me started on group mentality. With prom for Matthew this week, I am just in the hold on and pray mode. Then the following week is Cole's. Yes, there is a bunch of wicked involved in this season.

Blessings on you and your meditations. May your readings be illuminated by the Holy Spirit.

Sunday, April 8, 2012

April 9

NT – Luke 13:1-21
I thought we were through with poor, blighted fig trees but I guess not. Although I like this version better than Jesus cursing the fig tree that was not in season yet didn’t produce fruit. All of these allusions were set out to make a point – the kingdom of God is not what we think it is.
As I write this post, I am on an AirTran 737 heading back to Atlanta from Chicago. Airline travel is something Jesus’ disciples could not believe, yet we willingly jump through hoops with shoes off, laptops out of their cases, no outside fluids (not even 7 oz toothpaste tubes that made it through security in Atlanta but did not in Chicago) to be herded into aluminum tubes that squish us all together and whisk us from one part of the world to another in minutes or hours. Walking to Jerusalem for the disciples took DAYS.
And we still have the same problems understanding what the kingdom of God will be like. Do you think Jesus was being deliberately obtuse about it when he compares it to a mustard tree and yeast? Earlier, he had called the Pharisees yeast. And not in a good way.
It seems like our ideas about who will populate the kingdom and who will lead it are topsy turvy from what present society is like. You see this on this airplane. Who gets to get on first? The rich. Even though it would make so much more sense to board from the back to the front, ‘business class’ boards first. Me, I would put everyone on the plane from back to front, then load the babies and toddlers, then load first class and take off. If you pay your money, you go first. Except in the kingdom. It is not money that gets you in, it is doing what is required by God with a pure heart and believing that Jesus is the Son of God. I am thinking it is the pure heart that is going to trip me.
Here is a YouTube of a mustard seed song. Click here if your email does not display YouTube videos.



Psalm 78:65-72
Gosh, this is a long psalm. I have had to go back and reread the three earlier sections to understand where we are. As a recap, this psalm traces the history of Israel from Jacob and his children, through the flight to Egypt, up out of Egypt, through the desert with all the wonders, and through the conquest of Israel. The psalm talks about the sinning of the people and how God would become angry and let them be overwhelmed.
Today’s section is the victorious David, the champion of God, taking the kingship and the reins of the people. Clearly, this was written at the beginning of David’s reign. Everything is glorious.
I recently got a comment on the blog which I deleted because of its harsh tone and its anonymous user. But I think the psalm refutes part of the commenter’s statement which was basically that the exiles in Babylon made Moses up to provide hope. This psalm does not follow even closely the wording or the ‘feel’ of Exodus, Leviticus and Deuteronomy. Yet it tells the same stories, albeit from decidedly different perspectives. And while Moses is not named, clearly there was a leader that God provided to shepherd his flock through the flight and during the conquest. And this psalm was almost certainly written during David’s early reign. Notice that there is no mention of the capitol being Jerusalem, rather Shiloh is mentioned. David moved the capitol to Jerusalem in the early/middle part of his reign.
One of my favorite TV shows is the remake of BattleStar Galactica which aired from 2003-2009. A million times better than the original, the characters are flawed and ‘real’ human beings, even the Cylons who are machines. In one episode, Laura Roslin, the president of the Colonies tells Adama that he is lucky. Why, Adama asks. In battle you die once, says Roslin. In politics you die a thousand times. I think David would have agreed with Roslin. I am looking forward to studying David in this Bible study.
OT – Deuteronomy 33:1-29 Last full day in Deuteronomy
Is it me or is this little bit of poetry different from the earlier sermons that Moses gave in Deuteronomy? I am thinking this is another of those inserts during the disagreements with the Jehovah line and the priestly line.
I looked in my Stone Chumash to see what “king over Jeshurun” meant. Here is what Rashi had to say about that. Maybe I am mistaken but I don’t think I have ever seen Jacob described that way. “Jeshurun, i.e. Israel. This title of honor is from the word meaning straight, righteous. It designates Israel in its ideal state as God’s upright nation.
Once Israel declared its eternal loyalty to the Torah (vs. 3-4), GOD became ‘king of Jeshurun’, because it is only among those who grasp and diligently involve themselves in its study that He is truly King.” Stone Chumash p. 1113
Proverbs 12:25 Truer words have never been spoken. Anxiety weighs a million pounds per square item.

And just an administrative note. This is a Bible blog, written by someone who has not been to seminary nor do I have a degree in any kind of Biblical studies. I do make mistakes and I do question a lot. I do call myself a Christian although I recognize there are those out there who would not. I don’t mind people taking me to task on my beliefs either by a comment or by email or even in the grocery store, but I do expect you to be civil and I do expect you to provide your contact information to reply or rebut as I see fit. I am open to alternative views and would have like to have seen the material that the poster quotes but does not source. I have my own questions about Moses. During this time of study, I have tried to suspend some of my previous thoughts about him and I am the richer in Bible knowledge for it. That does not mean that my questions or my doubts have gone away, if anything, they are more numerous and larger. A Bible study of this magnitude and depth will change you and I am open to the change – for good or worse. Civility is my choice for arguments of all kinds. Since this is my blog, I would appreciate the courtesy of same.

Saturday, April 7, 2012

Happy Easter! April 8

NT – Luke 12:35-59
Look at vs. 47-48
“The servant who knows his master’s will and does not get ready or does not do what his master wants will beaten with many blows. But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.”
This was John D Rockefeller Jr.’s favorite Bible quote.
I recently watched The Rockefellers on American Experience. We have Netflix and I love the whole biography section.
Here is PBS’s synopsis of the series:
“For decades, the Rockefeller name was despised in America–associated with John D. Rockefeller Sr.'s feared monopoly, Standard Oil. By the end of his life, Rockefeller had given away half his fortune–but even his vast philanthropy could not erase the memory of his predatory business practices. His only son, John D. Rockefeller Jr., would dedicate his life to recasting the family image. In the quest for redemption and respectability, Junior would give away hundreds of millions of dollars, and would insist that his six children behave impeccably. Their contributions transformed America. When he died at age 86, Junior left his six children and 22 grandchildren an invaluable inheritance: a name which stood not for corporate greed, but for "the well-being of mankind."
I highly recommend the video if for no other reason to watch the evolution of the modern oil business.
But in thinking about WHY this was his favorite quote, it made me think if *I* believed it. It would be nice if we had a get out of jail free card because we are Christian. I think it works totally the other way around. If we are Christians, we are held to higher standards, not lower. And I think this is true for multiple reasons. The first one that comes to my mind is that other people are watching. (I am probably paranoid, in addition to my ADD). When you declare yourself for the Lord and then you behave badly, gosh, I hate it, but you invite others to say you are a hypocrite. A word that featured highly in our NT reading today. Hate that word. Secondly, because of our love for the Lord, we should behave better. We KNOW better. And if you know this is your weakness or your place of wicked, you should have measures in place to help you cope with the situation. And the last reason I can think of is that we are called to set the example . And not a bad one. It is extremely ugly of me to fuss at my children for not picking up their dirty socks if my stuff is everywhere. Do as I say not as I do. Hypocrite.
All that to say is that really nice. And we strive awfully hard to be good. But just as in the Moses tirade in our OT reading today, it is almost impossible to reach to those lofty standards. I know Moses said it was within reach. I have not found it so easily. Wicked calls to me a lot.
So what is a lowly servant like me to do?
I think Jesus offers us some insight into that very question just before he launches into this tirade.
The answer is to do the very best you can regardless of whether or not someone is watching. Make it a habit to do your Christian job the best you know how regardless of your surroundings or your watchers. The other thing is that you need to know God's will? That is where the Mary thing comes in, I think. Mary, unlike Martha, knew what she was supposed to do. She was supposed to be sitting at Jesus’ feet listening instead of bustling around. You have to be quiet. You have to be focused. And you need to be listening and ready. I just want to go on record as saying, the world does need the Martha ability to feed and restore honored guests and family. That may be what you are called to do. But not in a frenzy. And not without taking time out for the Lord. The grocery list can wait until after church.
I guess the answer to my question about the Rockefeller quote was that I do believe it, but I don’t live it. That makes me, you guessed it, a hypocrite.
Happy Easter to everyone and since I won’t be at Mt Vernon Presbyterian for the Halleluiah Chorus, here is a great YouTube rendition. Click here if your email doesn’t support YouTube.

Friday, April 6, 2012

April 7

Psalm 78:32-55
Vs. 38-39 “Yet he was merciful; he forgave their iniquities and did not destroy them. Time after time he restrains his anger and did not stir up his full wrath. He remembered that they were but flesh, a passing breeze that does not return.”
I am with my in-laws who are both in a nursing home in Decatur, Il. It is a very nice nursing home. Clean, well-tended. But still a home full of people at the end of their lives. And it is not a glorious end. It is hard to see God’s mercy here. Many of these folks, my father-in-law included, served in World War II and were true heroes. Now, they are burdens. Most of them know it. The ones that don’t are just as pitiful with their memories gone or nearly there.
Last night, we brought my carnivorous f-i-l steak and a baked potato. Don insisted on green beans as well but they were barely touched. But there were no sharp knives in this place. When I wandered back and found the kitchen, the cook took pity on me and washed and dried her own paring knife. When I tried to press some money on her, she stood tall and said she was just doin’ her job and that anyone who took money for doing a mercy to her folks should be ashamed. And that if someone DID take money for doin’ their job, well, they needed to be reported.
And that is where I saw God’s mercy yesterday. What about you?


OT – Deuteronomy 31:1-32:27
It isn’t often that leaders willingly hand over power. And to hand over power in such a gracious way. “Be strong and courageous, for you must go with this people into the land that the Lord swore to their forefathers to give them, and you must divide it among them as their inheritance.” Twice Joshua gets told this. Once by Moses and once by God.
George Washington also gave a similar address to the nation when he declared his intention not to run for a third term. His was not a speech since his 4,000,000 were scattered over a continent but published in a newspaper.
Here is paragraph one:
“The period for a new election of a citizen, to administer the executive government of the United States, being not far distant, and the time actually arrived, when your thoughts must be employed designating the person, who is to be clothed with that important trust, it appears to me proper, especially as it may conduce to a more distinct expression of the public voice, that I should now apprize you of the resolution I have formed, to decline being considered among the number of those out of whom a choice is to be made.”
It is a fascinating address and holds many, many truths for us now. Much like Moses, George Washington was a wise and perceptive leader.
Read the complete address here.

But back to Joshua. I am not sure that it is fair for Moses to heap all the infidelities of the Israelites on Joshua since he himself had his fair share. But he does and continues with his woes on them as they ‘cheat’ on the Lord. Clearly, Moses really wanted to go on being the leader but God had chosen and Moses stepped aside. We are very fortunate that our leaders do the same. Most of the planet does not have that luxury.


NT—Luke 12:8
Tomorrow is Easter. Almost every year, I try to have a new dress or outfit for church. I definitely want my boys looking fine. I realize that Jesus' admonition against being 'lilyified' applies to me, but really, I just can't help it. This year, since we are not at home and travel really light so we can avoid checking bags, our Easter finery will be in our hearts.
We are taking Don’s dad to his home church for Easter service.
It is a resurrection of sorts. Don’s parents have been mainstays of Westminster Presbyterian Church in Decatur, Il for 53 years. Don’s dad Joe has been an elder several times and most of those times he was Clerk of Session. His mother, Mickey, was deacon for years and years and did a tour of duty as head deacon when they were in the midst of a building campaign and construction. Trying days for a mother of six, full time school teacher – math. Now they are both elderly and Mickey hasn’t been to church in 2 years. Joe went without her, first while she slept away the morning at home then after she went to the nursing home when he could no longer care for her dementia at home. Joe hasn’t been there in 6 weeks. He asked me to find a ‘good tie’ and his nice jacket. I offered to press a shirt but he said he had one to wear that would look good with his sweat pants. My Easter finery is a man trying his best to recover from a stroke being wheeled by his son with his two fine grandsons by his side.
I wish you a blessed Easter and a glorious Resurrection Day.

Thursday, April 5, 2012

April 6

Today is Good Friday in the Western Christian World. The Greek Orthodox church celebrates Easter on April 15 and so their Good Friday is April 13.
For all my Western Christian friends, I wish you grace and peace on this day.
My pastor says you can't have the joy of Easter without the pain of Good Friday and I know he is right. But it is very painful for me to imagine that Jesus would willingly set his face towards that path and walk it.

OT -- Deuteronomy 29:1- 30:20
Several things struck me in this passage. One of which I knew but only because I had read it previously in the Stone Chumash. vs. 29:5 says "During the 40 years that I led you in the desert, your clothes did not wear out, nor did the sandals on your feet."
I realize that if God could raise a man from the dead (or a little girl or a teenage boy or his friend Lazarus), what are clothes to him. Still, that seems remarkable. I find these small details about the Exodus fascinating.
vs 30:11 "Now what I am commanding you to do is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach. Is is not up in heaven so that you have to ask 'Who will ascend into heaven to et it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it.'"
So if it isn't that hard (to love the Lord and not worship other idols), why did they do it? Why turn almost immediately to other gods? Heck, why do we?
And finally, Moses' admonition to 'choose life'. This is what L'chaim means. Not 'to' life, but CHOOSE life.
Folks, snug up in God's embrace and choose Him.


NT -- Luke 11:37-12:17
Vs 12:6 "Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrow."
Do you remember what the sparrows were being sold for? To be killed as sacrifices for someone's sin. Now, granted, they wouldn't have been grown if they weren't bound for the Temple sacrifice market.
What does that say about Jesus? Isn't he the ultimate Temple sacrifice?
Pennies we would pay for sparrows. Judas got 30 silver coins. What did we pay for his sacrifice for us? What does God require?
"He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?" Micah 6:8

Psalm 78
Wow, a restatement of Moses' sermon! Love it!

Have a blessed day.

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

April 5

NT – Luke 11:14-36
Vs 17 Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them: “Any kingdom divided against itself will be ruined and a house divided against itself will fall.”
I had no idea this was in the Bible. I thought Abraham Lincoln had made it up.
Instead, he quotes the Bible in the 1858 speech he gave while he was running unsuccessfully for Senate against Stephen Douglas, his long time nemesis.
Click here for the body of the speech. I have to say, he is speaking to us even if the issue is different, the attitudes are not.
Lincoln was, of course, talking about some states permitting slavery while other did not. Jesus was talking about serving God and Beelzebub at the same time. Maybe they are the same.
All of the similes in this section are ideal images for us to hold onto as touchstones for when we are assailed by wickedness. Even the picture of the evil spirit who has left but comes back with 7 more to a clean house is true to form.
Being wicked, for me, is like dieting. I always say, it will never happen again. So, I don’t need to prepare. But you and I both know that tempting food is lurking everywhere and so is the inclination to follow evil rather than good. The trick is to have something to fill your attention so that you don’t obsess over the cupcake or whatever the flavor of the month wicked is. We need to prepare IN ADVANCE our strategy for handling wicked. Think on this today and jot down some notes for yourself. Then slip these ideas in your Bible.

OT – Deuteronomy 28:1-68
My Strong Chumash has this to say about this chapter in Deuteronomy:
This is the Second Admonition in the Torah: The first was uttered by God and its litany of punishments is expressed in the first person, for God was telling Israel what He would do (Leviticus 26); THIS Admonition was uttered by Moses and it is expressed in the third person, for he was saying in his own words what God would do to those who defied Him. This is Rashi’s interpretation.
Ramban, on the other hand, says that the first Admonition referred to the years leading up to the destruction of the First Temple and the Babylonian exile. The Second Admonition refers to the waning years of the Second Temple and the current Diaspora.
Sylvia: Either way, it is a chilling prophesy of the way people behave when the chips are down. To all those out there who are prepping for the coming end of modern civilization, I think you need to read Deuteronomy 28 and then hope you are one of the ones that goes first…..

Proverbs 12:18
Reckless words pierce like a sword but the tongue of the wise brings healing.
Truer words were never spoken. My mother always prays this prayer for me when I go to visit my in-laws “Lord, keep one hand on her shoulder and the other over her mouth.”
Clearly, this is an issue for me.

On a personal note, Don’s dad fell 4 ½ weeks ago and they did not find him for 12 hours. He suffered a stroke during this period and has been hospitalized and is now in a nursing home for ‘rehab’. He is very unhappy and very weak and is desperate to go home. Prayers would be extremely appreciated especially for wisdom.

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

April 4

Proverbs 12:15-17
“The way of a fool seems right to him, but a wise man listens to advice. A fool shows his annoyance at once but a prudent man overlooks an insult.”
Growing up, my family got 2 newspapers a day. The Atlanta Constitution in the morning and The Atlanta Journal in the evening.
The morning paper was sacred. No one got to look at it until my dad finished with it and since he was the last to get up almost every morning (which was why we were almost always late to school since he drove us Tuesday – Friday), we never read it.
The evening paper was different. It was usually there when we got home from school and we grabbed it and divided it up amongst the three of us. Alfred read the sports, Debbie avidly followed the comics, but I LOVED the Ann Landers column. Ann Landers wrote an advice column and she was very frank. I learned about all sorts of things that I don’t think my mother would have approved of me learning at a fairly young age. *She* would not have approved of Moses’ dictum on ‘nocturnal emissions’. I also think she was a very sagacious (SAT prep word!!) and rarely made a bad call. If she did and readers objected, she printed their rebuttals and either backed down or stated her case. I loved her. I only wrote one letter to her and it was about college applications. She did not print my letter but I got a nice letter back from her office telling me that she had received my letter and unfortunately could not print them all nor could she answer individual mail. But they did include a pamphlet on making decisions. I thought that was very helpful and felt like my larger question – what to do with myself – had received some advice that I found acceptable.
What was even more interesting to me later was that she was a twin, an identical twin, and her sister also wrote a nationally syndicated column – Dear Abby. And even more astounding to me was that they were ‘estranged’. Seems like she should have taken her own advice!
Our proverb today says that a wise man listens to advice. Earlier in Proverbs, we read that a wise man keeps his own counsel. So which one is it, Mr. Know-it-all?
I think Ann would say, Sylvia, it is both. Sometimes, you need to keep your mouth shut and follow your instincts. Other times, you need to stop, question wise people, then make up your mind. The trick is knowing which occasion the problem fits into.
Example 1, Don and I have a fight. Whatever we are fighting about, that usually isn’t the real reason for the upset. This is not a time to get advice. Anyone who I know does not need to know the down and dirty details about us. Keep your mouth shut, pray a good bit, follow your instincts.
Example 2, Matthew wants to go to any unsupervised lake party for the weekend. I am stunned. Don has more questions than I have answers. Step back, go to my wise women friends who have already been there, done that, ask advice. Then make up my mind that I should have been more stunned.
These are the easy ones. There are others out there that are so much harder. And then there are the ones that you think should fall into Example 1 but turn out to have really been Example 2.
Then we have to have a discussion about forgiving ourselves. Ann Landers had a theory on that one, too. I’ll save that for when the proverb describing that one shows up.

NT – Luke 10:38-11:13
I hate to say it, but I am a Martha gal. Ever busy. I don’t do much sitting. I have a really, really hard time relating to Mary. And don’t I know some Marys.
Church can sometimes be hard for us Marthas. I have been known to make grocery lists, design the addition to my house, work out a new diet plan, and decide on vacation destinations.
Is this you? Or are you Mary? How do you make yourself just sit at Jesus’ feet and just be? Can I say that I am somewhat envious? And the part that is not, has the prideful streak of running around boasting “Look how much I can get done!!!” But who is the one who is not happy? Who is the one who is stressed out? Martha.
Maybe, after Matthew graduates and all my spring chores are done, I will take on the babysteps that will help me stop the Marthaing and really focus my attention on Jesus and learn to be Mary. She chose. I can too.

Blessings on your day and your meditations.