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.


If your email does not display YouTube videos, click here.

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.