July 1

OT -- 2 Kings 18:13-19:37
The king of Assyria that plays a prominent role in today's scripture is Sennacherib of Assyria. Here is a bas relief of him that was recovered in dig in Nineveh.

It is tempting when we read the Bible to only assume that these historical figures only existed in their Bible roles. But these were living, breathing people who had mothers and fathers (in Sennacherib's case, his father was the famous Sargon II. Click here for Sargon's impressive biography.), and who had problems and concerns other than the Children of Israel.
Sennacherib inherited a huge empire from his dad. Almost immediately, the Chaldeans and Arameans revolted in what is now Babylon and he spent most of his reign fighting the rising Babylonians as they will soon be known. The campaign with Judah was a relatively minor skirmish for him. The Bible makes it sound like there were 2 campaigns although remaining Assyrian documents show only one. In any regard, Sennacherib is killed by his son in 581 BC and is succeeded by his wife of another son as regent.

So knowing all this, how are we to interpret today's scripture and does it matter at all to us as Bible faithfuls or Bible scholars? (I get to call you that. Anyone who has been in the Word like we have for the last 6 months qualifies to be called a Bible Scholar.)

Here's where I think it matters. Once you know the back story, you can look for REASONS people do what they do. That makes it more interesting and I think you can identify with these dry pages as people in a tight spot or having to juggle a revolt against a siege.
Sennacherib was looking for another route to subdue the Babylonians. Judah is in the way. Plus, Judah is conspiring with Eqypt who probably was helping out the Babylonians. Sennacherib sees how weak Judah is, sweeps down through the territories that he already owns in Israel and attacks all the fortified cities who collapse one by one against him until he gets to Jerusalem. In his arrogance, Sennacherib thinks that his mighty chariots and warriors (remember, Hezekiah has NO CHARIOTS and no metal armor and darn few warriors) will easily overpower Jerusalem. What would be not nice is to have to deal with a siege. Messy businesses, sieges. Dying people, fugitives, skirmishes, can last for several months to several years. Sennacherib needs to get back to the Babylonian business. Hence, the nasty commander speech in Hebrew. Morale is a power foe/help in war.
When the Assyrians are not immediately successful, they have to retreat in order to handle another revolution by the Babylonians. Thus, Hezekiah and his allegiance to God prevail.

Our God is God of history, past, present and future. I find that comforting.

May you have a restful Sunday and stay hydrated. It is 104 degrees as I write this in Atlanta at 8 PM.

June 30

OT -- 2 kings 17:1-18:12
This is the end for Israel and the beginning of the hatred for the Samaritans. Israel died at the hands of the Assyrians.
Take a look at this video describing the might of Assyria:


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NT -- Acts 20:1-38
Many of you know that I 'farm' our 3/4 of acre here in Sandy Springs. I have loads of vegetables mixed in with flowers and grass. Fig/peach/plum/pear/apple trees in my landscape. Basil everywhere for our cheese making. Green beans run up my clothesline.
Click here if you want to see a video of what is currently growing at Orchard Hill.



I am frequently asked 'how did you do all this', 'why do you do all this', but far more interesting to me, 'how can *I* do this'.

One of the best things about the internet is the community of shared interest. In my case, urban homesteading/gardening/small farmers.

I am not sure when I started to read Cold Antler Farm, but it was at least 3 years ago, maybe more. Jenna is a 30ish single woman who is farming 5 acres in UpState New York. She is an amazing writer and this post of hers from a few days ago resonated with my scripture reading AND my farming interest.

"The Need Fire
There’s an ancient tradition in the Scottish Highlands called Tein'-éigin (Tine-Aye-Gan), In English: The Need Fire. Whenever a group of farmers or clansmen felt a particularly bad patch of luck had hit their cattle or community, all the home’s hearth fires were put out and a new fire was started for all. This fire was special, incredibly so. It was a fire for the commons, started not with a match or fuel, but by friction. You needed to light embers with the traditional methods of rope against wood because it was a blaze to be earned. Once it got started in earnest it burned high and wet wood was added to create smoke. Lots and lots of smoke. Farmers would run their cattle or horses through it, a baptism and cleansing, a prayer on the ashy hoof. The smoke was supposed to heal, and all it touched would aid those in need.

After the fire was smoldering, prayers sent up to the likes of Brigit (Saint or Goddess, depending on personal leanings or time period)—everyone grabbed coals and burning logs from the common fire, and took it home to start anew. They lit their own hearths again from that ritual, knowing that the whole clan was there together in whatever happened. They’d deal with the cattle, the limping horses, the bad crops—they were a community and they had the embers to prove it.

I have yet to gather my own clan up here for a Tein'-éigin, but I can assure you this much, they would all come. Everyone will have different ideas about religion, some will have no faith at all, but the Need Fire isn’t necessarily about deity, it is about each person’s trust in the larger community. That as a group we are more and capable of support and the healing of each other than any household or farm alone is. If my farm hosted a Need Fire I’d know Jesus, Buddah, St. Brigit, and Gaia would be present in the hearts of the attendees. Each religion would walk us separately to our bonfire. All those beautiful internal fires of belief just add to its strength. Like different woods create different sparks and slow burns, they come as one under the heat of the moment, the need.

And whether your friends and family actually create a smoky fire in a state park or just meet for coffee, the point and spirit of the Tein'-éigin lives on. It’s about coming together to work through pain. We see examples of it every day: Town Meeting Night over in Vermont, Personal interventions with addicts, prayer groups in church basements, Rotary Club and Girl Scout meetings alike. These are all examples of common hearts and minds coming together in support and change for something bigger than themselves, something better. Perhaps it is the farmer in me, or the romantic, but I can’t see a difference in any of these examples. I see the same hope swirling from the smoke of a 1356 Bonfire in the Highlands and the steam coming off a coffee cup in a church basement’s AA meeting. Strength comes from community support, so does change for the better.

So, dear friends, who would light a Need Fire with you? Who are the members of your clan? If there is something you ache for, or wish to heal, why not gather the support of your people? It took moving to a farming community for me to fully understand the idiocy of self-suffiency. Either in survival or spirit, community is what has the ability to thrive.

You don't have to be a religious person to let the Tein'-éigin burn in your heart. You just need to believe that a better life is something worth believing in. May your clan light the way.

-Excerpt from my upcoming book, Days of Grace." Jenna Woginrich

Cold Antler Farm

Paul, too, had his clan. He usually had 1-2 who traveled with him at all times. They were loyal to a fault, taking beatings, stonings, imprisonment and eventually death as their reward. In today's scripture, his clan was gathered together, breaking bread, when tragedy happened. Fortunately for the group, Paul's power revived him. But even if it hadn't, the clan would have pulled together to support one another as they grieved.

Someone asked Anne Lamott why she drug her son Sam to church. That essay is in Traveling Mercies and if you have my copy, I would love it if you would copy that for me. Keep the book. I need the essay with my recalcitrant teen. Basically, it was that shared memories, especially the shared memories of believers, are necessary to make it through the teen years. I would add, the 40 years, and soon, oh soon, the 50s. Just as an aside, when I went to Barnes and Noble to get Don's NY Times for his birthday present, I saw that Anne has a new book out. And the co-author is her son Sam! I put it on my birthday list. September 12th if you feel called.

Just want you to know that YOU are part of my clan. Stay in The Word.

June 29 (and June 28)

OT – 2nd Kings 15:1-16:20
There is no way, no way I would have allowed EITHER of my sons to try and become a King during this time! How many were assassinated? What awful things they did and how brief their descriptions of their lives were?
I am sure that when they were little, they were cherished little boys. But most of them grew up into truly awful men. Or did they?
Don’t forget, we are reading a book that was written after the Babylonian exile. It was written to explain WHY God had allowed his chosen people to be split into two lands and WHY both sets of people had been removed from their homeland. 11 of the tribes in Israel to vanish forever and the 12th – Judah to only make it through as captive people.
At no time were any of these kings at peace with their neighbors for any length of time. And if they were, it was at a great cost, like the selling of the temple ornaments. That probably robbed Ahaz his place in heaven. And Israel/Judah was not a great producer of anything. They had no minerals, lumbers or ruby mines. Mostly landlocked with huge amounts of desert, they really had nothing to export. The wealth of David and Solomon came from destroying their enemies and carrying off the booty. Once that was exhausted, well, there isn’t a whole lot of money in goats.
These kings were really, really desperate and just trying to hang on.
I get that they should have been faithful. So should we all in times of trouble. But I had a hard time believing so many were evil, that is until I read that they had assassinated the previous king to get the throne. Politics and power as usual.

And that brings me back to the psalm for yesterday – sorry about that…
Psalm 146
“Do not put your trust in princes,
In mortal men who cannot save,
When their spirit departs, they return to the ground;
On that very day, their plans come to nothing.” Vs 3-4

“But I believed in him.” My dear, dear friend was one of the state representatives for John Edwards and I cannot tell you how many times over the past couple of months she has emailed those words to me.
He is just the newest of the ones to be dashed to the ground.
Wikipedia has an amazing list of political scandals. Go check it out. Some, I knew about. Others had me almost breathless and I wondered where I was….
Political scandals
It is tempting to believe in powerful people. They say the right things and have ‘charisma’. They have a PLAN. All mapped out. With the stops and benchmarks all along the way. But Charismatic or no, just people. With faults, foibles and usually a whopping big bag of hubris.
Dictionary.com defines hubris as:
excessive pride or self-confidence; arrogance.

Our kings in 2nd kings are no different. They probably believed themselves to be God’s gift to Israel/Judah depending on where they were from. They thought military goals, being the top dog in that part of the world was the most important thing.

But God has a different scale of importance. His is “upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry. The Lord sets prisoners free, the Lord gives sight to the blind, The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down, the Lord loves the righteous.”
Sound familiar? Jesus based his sermon on the Mount from this psalm. The Beatitudes are directly taken from this psalm.
Want to hear the Beatitudes in song form? Check out this beautiful version from Sweet Honey in the Rock.



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Don’t put your happiness, health or your financial status in what happens or doesn’t happen with princes/presidents/governors. Do your civic duty, yes. Vote. One is coming up here in Georgia on July 31st and if you haven’t registered, you have until July 2 to do so.
But if you want true happiness, and true heavenly rewards, you have your list.

Blessings to you and yours.

June 28

OT -- 2nds Kings 13:1-14:29 and NT -- Acts 18:23-19:12
kings vs.20 "Now Elisha died and was buried. Now Moabite raiders used to enter the country every spring. Once while some Israelites were burying a man, suddenly they saw a band of raiders; so they threw the man's body into Elisha's tomb. When the body touched Elisha's bones, the man came to life and stood up to his feet."
Acts 19:11 "God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them."

This is such a bummer. We have no Elisha's bones and we have no aprons touched by Paul. Just sick, dying and death folks.
Today, I worked a farmer's market in Dunwoody and after I had set up my tent and all the cheese stuff, one of the farmers walked over to test my new Chipotle aged goat cheese.
He wanted to know about the cows that produce our milk and whether or not they are organic. They are not because it costs about $10,000 to get certified. They do everything that a certified farm does -- no growth hormones, grass fed, pasture raised, etc. Then he wanted to know about the grain feed. The cows get a small amt of grain when they are being milked. It's small. But it keeps them quiet, it keeps them waiting at the shed to be milked at milking time.
What's in the grain the farmer wanted to know and then he proceeded to regale me with all the GMO (genetically modified organisms)grains and what they do and how they make people sick especially with cancers.
I have no answer for that. I have no answer for the conspiracy theories floating around about the genetic modification of wheat causing the huge outbreak of gluten intolerance. Or the virus that supposedly infects peanuts to render them unusable as a food and perfect to take over the world as a bio-fuel.

Are people sicker than they were 100, 500, 1000 years ago? Or do we just live long enough to where the icky stuff catches up with us and our bodies can't deal with it any longer?

In a recent article on Alzheimer's, there was an autopsy performed on an 80 year old nun who was suspected of having the disease but because of her rituals, routines and her vow of silence, was unable to be assessed. When they did the autopsy, it was discovered that she not only had Alzheimer's, but also several kinds of cancers, all of which were yet to be symptomatic.
Live longer, be sicker?

Maybe we should be like Maude of Harold and Maude and decide on an end date, (but 70 is too young...), have an enormous party and then THE END?
Or does sick teach us things that we wouldn't learn any other way? Or lead us down paths that we CERTAINLY would not have gone otherwise?

What does it say about us that we want a Paul-touched apron?

June 27

NT -- Acts 18:1-22
Here is a fascinating webpage with the dates of Paul's journeys and his letters. Go check it out!
Paul's Journeys
We forget when we read Acts just how many years this book encompasses. The phrase 'Paul stayed in Corinth some time' could mean a season, a year or two. For the longest time (years in Sylvia world), I thought that when Paul showed up in a city, he either a)made an immediate friend or b)ticked off the local synagogue leader after 2-3 Saturdays. Or Both.
The reality is, Paul showed up a in city, worked a bit at his tent-making, visited several synagogues until he found one he thought would be compatible and then started teaching. You don't just get to show up in a city and start teaching in Jewish synagogues. It takes time to develop relationships AND adversaries.

On a personal note, today Don and I have been married 20 years.

Peace and blessings to you all.

June 26

Proverbs 17:27-28
"A man of knowledge uses words with restraint, and a man of understanding is even-tempered. Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent, and discerning if he holds his tongue."
For his birthday, Matthew, Cole and I got Don a subscription to the Sunday New York Times. For a bit of background, Don is a very liberal Democrat. He loves to write letters to the editors of the Atlanta Journal, the Sandy Springs Neighbor, and other papers. I have to say, there are people who read those papers who send nasty letters to our home regarding his letters. There is one who has sent him dozens, all unsigned and all full of ugliness. I know what they look like and toss them out before they make it into our home.
The boys and I decided that Don needed to fish a bigger pond and so we hunted for the most liberal paper we could find that delivers to Sandy Springs. The New York Times it is.
We got the first delivery on Sunday.
Pawing through the massive, blue wrapped bundle, I came across the New York Times Magazine and flipped it open to the Ethicist. Here is the lead-in question:
"My mother has been having memory issues for a number of years. Her neurologist has been telling her it is 'mild dementia'. Her cognitive impairment and memory loss have worsened, and I recently met the neurologist without her. He told me she has Alzheimer's. He felt we should not yet tell my mother, as that diagnosis has been her greatest fear and it would be too devastating. He felt we could not tell my father unless we told my mother. I am uncomfortable keeping this terrible secret. Is it better to tell a loved one of the prognosis they fear, or is it more ethical to let them live in hopes that they have escaped it?"
NY Times Magazine June 24, 2012 p. 13

Well now, how would you respond?

Check out this YouTube video while you think about it.



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From time beyond my memory, we visited my mother's family in Blairsville every fall. One of Mother's cousins, Maudelle, had had a very high fever as a child and as a result was mentally retarded. She was very obese, dirty, and scared the hell out of me.
I think that is the reason I fear Alzheimer's so much. I perceive dementia to be just like Maudelle was/is. Mindless, scary.
I have visited many people who 'have lost their minds'. None acted like Maudelle. My favorite of all time, Virginia, thought I was her daughter and called me by her name incessantly. I didn't mind. Virginia's daughter, even though she is 20 years older than me, is model gorgeous and a loving wife, mother, and grandmother. I should be so lucky as to be like her. Yes, I heard the same stories from Virginia over and over again and yes, she was incontinent but for the most part, she was kind, generous, and I never left her home except for the last couple of visits when she never woke up without a big, lovingly placed kiss and a hug.
I have visited several patients who were not so sweet as Virginia. The yellers, the constant "someone has stolen my car/teeth/rings/wallet", the ones that throw things. Maybe because I am no longer six and these people are 80+ and usually in a bed or wheelchair that this does not frighten me. Makes me sad. Sometimes makes me mad. But not frightened.

So back to the Ethicist. How would you answer? Here is a clip of his answer:
"What the doctor is doing is wrong. There are certain situations in which withholding specific knowledge is to the greater benefit of all involved. This, however, is not one of those situations. This disease is going to dictate your mother's relationship with reality. The window in which she can authentically communicate with those she loves is rapidly closing."

So many of our proverbs have dealt with the mouth. Foolish men who speak when they shouldn't, wise men who are discerning in their disclosures. But what I have yet to find is when to speak up about certain troubles and when just to let it ride. I WANT the Bible to be specific about my troubles. I WANT it spelled out, and make no mistake about it, in detail.
Haven't found it yet.
Since I definitely cannot be considered wise, I think I will follow the precepts of our proverb for today and keep my mouth shut. Sorry, Ethicist.

June 25

Psalm 143:1-12
This is a psalm of depression. My study Bible heads this as "A psalm of David". When I read it, I can absolutely tell that David knew a dark side.
Right now, several of my friends are wandering about in that dark. It is very hard for fixer Sylvia just to be with them and not try to make it all better. But reading this psalm and remembering my own paths reminds me that I really can offer nothing but an ear to listen (and an occasional prompt to get up out of bed and into the shower).
I once heard a radio announcer say that depression is a modern happenstance. I disagree. Read this psalm and know that another walked that rocky, dark road.

Acts 16:16-40
Flogging is an act of torture. Usually it is done with a whip that has the ends separated. Sometimes nails or other bits of metal are embedded into the ends. This makes the whipping deeper and more severe.
People die from flogging. And they die from the infections that being severely whipped and then thrust into a filthy jail cell with no bathroom facilities. This was no casual punishment.
Paul makes the statement that the officials did not know he and Silas were Roman citizens. Here are some privileges that a Roman citizen was afforded:

"It can get complicated and differs a bit between location and time. I glanced through Sherwin-White’s The Roman Citizenship and found some goodies. I probably am missing some things, but here goes:

1) Voting
2) Candidate for office
3) Freedom to chose between local and Roman jurisdiction
4) Immunity from some local laws
5) Marriage rights, and rights of citizenship to children
6) Migration within Empire
7) Migration outside Res Publica and granting rights equivalent of foreign citizenship (probably only useful early in Roman history, I suppose, such as immigrating to Greek city-states when they were still independent)
8 ) Not to be tortured
9) Appeal
10) Roman law, that gave some special rights (litigation, some taxes etc.)

There are others, too, that were not specifically enshrined in law. Sherwin-White talks about “the passive value of the Roman citizenship” such as:
1) Protection in the provinces and abroad (some “soft power” of sorts – basically don’t mess with a Roman citizen)
2) Treatment during and after military service (discipline, pay, booty, veteran’s colonies)
3) Business possibilities (Provincial tax-farming contracts only went to Roman citizens, for instance)
David J. Cord
www.davidcord.com"

#8 is a pretty big privilege. So that leads me to the question, why didn't Paul SAY he was a Roman citizen? I certainly would have. He does at other times. Why not here?
I think it is the God glory that must have kept his mouth shut. And what a glory it was.
We don't know the real end of this story. We don't know if the jailer continued to learn about God and Jesus. He isn't named like Lydia and others. And we don't always know the end of the story when we allow God the glory rather than try to be Fixer Sylvia. Maybe just being there IS enough. Something to think about.

And the proverb? "it is not good to punish an innocent man or to flog officials for their integrity." What a great one for the scriptures today.

June 24

OT – 2 Kings 6:1-7:20
In today’s reading, the king of Aram asks where Elisha is and his men answer “Dothan”. Have you ever stopped and thought about how many places in the South are named after Bible places? Hey, they don’t call us the Bible belt for NOTHING!
Dothan, Alabama Shiloh, TN Bethlehem, GA Calvary, TN Mt Zion, GA Bethsaida, MD
The list goes on and on. Why are we so obsessed that we name places after the Bible? Do we want to recreate Israel here?

In our scripture, there are some incredible miracles that Elisha performs. My favorite is the one where Elisha asks God to open the eyes of his servants so that they can see the heavenly hosts that is surrounding them.
Paul alludes to this with his ‘now we see dimly’ and scientists also say that we see/perceive very little of the KNOWN universe, much less the unknown. If you had told an 18th century person about germs, you would have been burnt at the stake for witchcraft. Now, even our 3 and 4 year olds know about germs and hand sanitizers. I don’t really want to be morbid, but think of the death and destruction of bacteria that takes place on a daily basis as a result of hand washing and sanitizers!

When my son showed me the video “10 Questions that Christians must answer” last year – click here if you want to see it


-- , I thought about this for a long, long time. By the way, I have no answer to any of the questions but I don’t think I am delusional. I think I just don’t see all things.
What I do know is that miracles do happen and things that would have been considered a miracle 100 years no longer are. Just think about it. If someone showed up with an IV antibiotic even in 1912, someone at death’s door would almost immediately break their fever and in a few hours be able to get out of bed and make dinner (Peter's mother-in-law). A miracle. To them. To me, I just assume when they stuck the needle in Matt’s arm, ran the antibiotic in his bloodstream, it would work. Not to say that I didn’t pray, but certainly not at the rate that someone in 1912 whose child had red streaks running up his leg would have done. I KNEW Children's Healthcare could fix it. And they did. A miracle in 1912, reality in 2012.
What if we are surrounding by beings that are not visible to our naked eyes but are if we just had the right ‘glasses’? Wouldn’t that be miraculous to us? Especially, if they were on ‘our’ side in a brutal war.

I have a theory as to why we name our towns, roads, and cities after Bible names. WE WANT TO KNOW THAT GOD IS CLOSE TO US JUST AS HE WAS CLOSE TO PEOPLE LIKE ELISHA SO WE CAN TAP INTO HIS POWER. But forgive me, I don’t want to live in Dothan.

NT – Acts 15:36-16:15
In my youth, I think you could say with impunity, “Sylvia hates Paul”. I still disagree with him mightily but the hate has really mellowed out to respect for his accomplishments and the trials and tribulations that he underwent for our benefit.
Today’s scripture was one of my favorite weapons against Paul and one that you should think about and decide where you stand on it.
After all that nonsense with the apostles in Jerusalem over whether or not the Gentiles had to be circumcised, Paul circumcises Timothy before he will take him with him on the road. I know the immediate response, it takes away the initial criticism that Timothy will certainly encounter and makes him ‘clean’ to enter the synagogues. But it surely, surely points out Paul’s duplicity in the matter. When it mattered to him, Paul wields the knife. As for me, I consider that Paul chose the non-circumcision side of the debate as it would win him more converts. And truthfully, that is a valid argument. Sorry, youthful Sylvia.

You will also notice the change in the pronouns starting in vs. 16:10 from them to us. My study Bible and Bible teachers point out that this must be when the author of Luke/Acts joined Paul.

Much love and peace to you all.

June 23

OT -- 2 Kings 4:18-5:27
Leprosy. People my age have no idea the terror that word could induce in people. I had a pastor once who when he knew he was being called to the ministry, begged God, "I will go to seminary but please don't make me a missionary. I don't want leprosy." Not flies, hot climates, bad water. He didn't want leprosy.
Here is a good website with information as to what leprosy is and the symptoms. An interesting factoid about leprosy is that about 95% of the population is naturally resistant to leprosy. This is why doctors and nurses in leprosy colonies did not always get the disease.
Leprosy
In Naaman's case, his case must have been pretty far along as vs 14 says 'his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy.'
Naaman becomes a believer but then there is the little tidbit in vs 18. "when I bow down in the temple of RImmon (a god of the Arammeans), may the Lord forgive your servant for this."
Elisha allows it, and Naaman leaves. No problem. We have to do things all the time that allow us to keep the peace, keep our status, keep the upper eschelon happy.
Christmas, for example. Not sure that Jesus would have liked how it has evolved. But not to participate in the revelry or to make a statement about it runs you the risk of getting the "put the Merry Christmas back in Christmas" folk on the warpath. Easier just to bake the cookies, have the sing-a-longs, toss in the hat for the company party and then in the privacy of your own home, focus on the meaning of Christmas FOR YOU.

Here is one of my favorite set of rules from His Holiness, The Dalai Lama

1. Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk.

2. When you lose, don’t lose the lesson.

3. Follow the three Rs:

1. Respect for self

2. Respect for others

3. Responsibility for all your actions

4. Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.

5. Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly.

6. Don’t let a little dispute injure a great friendship.

7. When you realize you’ve made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.

8. Spend some time alone every day.

9. Open your arms to change, but don’t let go of your values.

10. Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.

11. Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and think back, you’ll be able to enjoy it a second time.

12. A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for your life.

13. In disagreements with loved ones, deal only with the current situation. Don’t bring up the past.

14. Share your knowledge. It’s a way to achieve immortality.

15. Be gentle with the earth.

16. Once a year, go someplace you’ve never been before.

17. Remember that the best relationship is one in which your love for each other exceeds your need for each other.

18. Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.

I think, in particular #9 speaks to the story about Naaman. He knew what he had to do in order to keep his position but he wanted Elisha to KNOW that he knew it was a compromised choice.

Acts 15:1-35
Oh the circumcision debate. I am sorry to say that this will go on and on and ON. Prepare yourself. The basic argument (which isn't presented by the way in the Bible) is that if you require the Gentiles to be circumcized before they become Christians, they will not convert and they won't support the church in Jerusalem specifically with their money. Paul and Peter are against (at least here in this section of Acts) the requirement and THEIR argument is that no Jew could keep all the commands so why should the Christians put this on the Gentiles. The other apostles and the Pharisee converts in Jerusalen feel that it SHOULD be a requirement.
So, which side do you support? Careful now, you may go to a church that doesn't require circumsion but requires other 'hoops' to jump through. The specifics change, the games do not.

Have a blessed day and if you are out early, come see me on the square in Marietta selling the best cheese in Atlanta, CalyRoad Creamery cheese. 8-12.

June 22

Psalm 139
I know, this psalm belonged to yesterday's reading but I didn't have a chance to comment on it so I am using blogger's privilege.
More than once, I have heard this psalm at a funeral. I am sure that people who chose it mean it to be comforting to those left behind and maybe it held special significance to the dead. But I remember the first time I heard it as a young child and it was really close to Christmas. Santa Claus and God suddenly merged together in my mind. You know "He sees you when you're sleeping. He knows when you're awake. He knows if you've been good or bad, so be good for goodness sake!"
That one took quite a bit of untangling on the part of my mother since I still believed in Santa Claus at the time. I think it involved God using Santa as one of his agents just as God uses us to do his work. At the time, I had several uncles in Vietnam and we sent care packages of razor blades, cookies, kleenex and drawings each month. Mother liken that to us acting as God's agent but giving presents like Santa. But it still bothered me enough to remember it 45 years later.
As a grownup, I still have issues with this psalm. Mostly because so very many of my thoughts are not nice. I try really hard not to act on those thoughts but I do have ugly words about the yucky people in front of me in the checkout line run through my head. And don't get me started on lying, cheating politicians. I know that God would not appreciate my 'holier-than-thou' words. If he knows all my thoughts, searches me all the time, well then, he knows just how black my heart really is.
One of my rabbi friends and I had a conversation about this recently and he said that in the Jewish faith, it is our RESPONSE to such thoughts rather than the actual thought itself. And once when I was doing a meditation with a Buddishist monk, he said when such thoughts enter your head, flick them aside like you change the screen on your IPhone. A very modern monk, he is.
What about you? Is it comforting to know that God is totally in your head, heart, and body or does that send you funny like it does me?

NT - Acts 14:28
Wow, what strength Paul must have had to turn aside a crowd who wanted to worship them as gods only to fall into the the hands of Jews who wanted to stone them.
"We must go through many hardships to enter the Kingdom of God." vs. 22b
As Americans, we don't know this. We get to choose to worship or not. You can go to church on Sunday or you can run by the river or just loll about in your hammock watching movies or sports. No one cares.
But there are still parts of the world where being a Christian is not only hard, it is downright unsafe. Even deadly.
Torture, beatings, and eventually death. Paul know this and was still the fiery champion of Jesus. May we walk gracefully in his huge shadow.

June 21

How the Bible was compiled.
This is the Sylvia conflagration of 8th grade world history, Rev McCollum’s Bible class as a Jr, World Religion at UGA, Kerygma Bible study, Disciple Bible Study and a lay person’s guide to the Bible class taught by Walter Brueggeman. All the errors are my own. All the opinions are my own. Here goes:

The Children of Israel when they left Egypt (if they actually did and that is another argument for another time), left a culture that used hieroglyphs and an elaborate court system of recording taxes, land purchases and grain, business transactions and a bunch of myths, legends, and how-to regarding the dead. Prior to showing up in Egypt, Jacob and his bunch of hooligan boys were illiterate. There is no writing to be found in Canaan dating to this time. I make the assumption that if Joseph were illiterate when he showed up as Pharaoh’s 2nd in command, he didn’t remain that way for long. The business of taxes and grain collection was complicated and involved. Same as it is today.
It is natural to assume that if Moses was brought up in Pharaoh’s palace, he must have been literate as well. After all, Deuteronomy says that the 10 commandments were ‘inscribed in God’s own hand on tablets of stone’, not once but twice. Someone had to be able to read them.
By the time that David/Solomon show up, the Israelites clearly have some sort of written records. 1st Kings talks all the time about the ‘annuals of the King’. Psalms has headings and song markings. Samuel the prophet kept ‘notes’ that are the basis for 1st and 2nd Samuel. We do not have the records of the kings that are referred to, nor do we have the notes of the prophets. Even the Torah, if it was written by then, was in pieces and parts. Just as we have myths and legends about George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Paul Bunyan, etc,; there were creation myths, hero stories (Samson, Gideon etc.) and the histories. The Book of Job is probably the most ancient of books in the Bible in its complete form and it definitely was a narrative poem/play that was acted out over and over.
What was probably already inscribed by the time of David/Solomon were the priestly laws and the stuff about The Temple although even that has been edited and amended, which you can tell because many times there is a repetition or a slightly different story that is inserted. I guess even then, Bible scholars were arguing.
Some of the prophets like the first 40 chapters of Isaiah were written at the time of the Kings. Others were written just after the Exile and still others were written after the return to Israel but they were written as if they were previous to the calamity.


When Solomon died after being bad with his foreign wives and forgetting the God who had taken care of him and his father, he left the kingdom to his stupid son Rehobam. Building a Temple, multiple palaces, all the horses and stables and such, all that costs tons of money which when the gold from plunder ran out, Solomon took from his subjects. After all, he was king. At his death, many of his subjects wanted a reduction in taxes and the conscription of men. Rehobam, being a do-do, didn’t listen to his elders and listened to his young, dissipated friends who said, bring on more misery.
This resulted in 11 of the tribes breaking away and following a different king, Jeroboam. They formed the Northern Kingdom, also known as Israel or Ephraim. Only Judah was left to Rehobam. The Southern kingdom, with its capital, Jerusalem was known as Judah.
Here is the map of the divided kingdom.




To the north of the Northern Kingdom lay Assyria. Assyria was the first of many conquerors of Israel/Judah. As a matter of fact, a video that I listened to at church recently said that Assyria was the first true empire and set the stage for the next 3,000 years of conquerors taking over a land, establishing their system, putting their people in power positions and actually ‘mining’ the conquered for resources, manpower and money. Prior to that, you swept in, destroyed the towns, took all the good stuff, killed all the men and then swept out (sound familiar, David???). Ever since then, Assyria, then Babylon, then Persia, then Greece, then Rome, then the French, then English, then the Germans, then the English again have followed this same sequence of empire building. Some would say that the United States is doing the same thing. Assyria, 21st century.

Assyria destroyed the Northern Kingdom in 722 BC. Assyria decimated the population, taking anyone and everyone that moved away and putting their own people there to marry with the scrawny leftovers. These were the beginnings of the Samaritans, so called because the capital of the Northern Kingdom was Samaria and the major worship center was ‘the high places like Shechem’ (sound familiar???) The Southern Kingdom, Judah, held on through the decline of Assyria and the takeover of Babylon but fell to the Babylonians in 586 BC.

Here is where I am going to get in trouble with my rabbi friends who read this blog. I will apologize ahead of time for making you mad but right now, in the state I am in, I am laying out what I think happened.

Okay, off the wealthy and popular people of Judah go to Babylon. It is green in Babylon. Remember, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon? One of the 7 wonders of the Ancient World? Where is Babylon? Oh, the intersection of the Tigris and the Euphrates. The records from the time say ‘there were no poor people in Babylon’. Can’t say that now, can we? The Babylonians were incredible record keepers. They inherited the original cuneiform records and took it from there. Taxes, grain purchases, irrigation records. But more than that, they wrote down, on rocks and scrolls made from vellum, sheep’s hide, their myths, legends, and religious rites. Many that look strikingly similar to our Torah. They developed an outstanding education system. The Israelites would surely have been exposed to this .
Most Bible scholars think this is when much of our early Bible was codified, argued out and written down.
Some of the more striking pieces of literature to come out of this period were the questions of why, if they were God’s chosen people, why had the captivity happened. Thus the ‘prophets’ and the writing of 1st and 2nd Kings to point out where the kings went wrong and why God had allowed the Children of Israel to be taken from their land that He had promised them. Looking back by having a prophet pronounce doom and gloom while it was happening.

Even when the Persians overran the Babylonians and allowed the Israelites to return, only a small number went back. After all, why would they? Jerusalem was devastated. Babylon/Persia was a hustling/bustling business world. But if you were a Jew, you wanted your children to KNOW where they came from and why you did what you did (the kosher laws, the non-conformity to other gods’ worship). Thus the written scrolls and books and the teachers of the Torah, the histories, and the wisdom writings.
Without a temple to worship at, the synagogues became the center of religious life and the transmission of knowledge. You need codified documents for this. Otherwise, you have a bunch of different religions all making similar claims. Almost, a university or at least scholars picking about and fleshing out the stories, histories, and Laws. And this ‘university’ was not in Jerusalem. It was in the cosmopolitan cities of Babylon and Persia. Their influence is clearly evident.

So, bottom line, when do I think the Bible was written? Sometime between 550 and 400 BC for the most part with small exceptions for Daniel (120 BC), most of Psalms and Proverbs (David and Solomon) and some of Isaiah (pre 586). I am not saying that written records, oral traditions, campfire stories did not exist. But the books we are studying, the ones we debate and argue over were complied, codified AND ARGUED over in the 500s. And those compilers had a strict agenda. And not always agreed upon agenda. But one that is prevalent all the way through was to show why God chose the Children of Israel and what He does when they don’t obey Him or His Laws.

In case you are wondering, I did learn at Church of St Andrew and from my mother, herself a Bible Scholar, that Moses wrote the first 5 books of the Bible. I just don’t believe that. Don’t worry if you think I am a heathen. You are in great company.

A friend that I sent this post to for reading wanted me to add how this affects my faith. Well, since I spend more faith time doubting than I do in solid belief, this is just one more layer of problems to add to the many I already have with our religion.
But what does shine through in the Bible, probably in spite of the editors, is how BADLY God wants to be in relationship with us.
Dirty, mean, dishonest, cheating folk that He reaches out to over and over and over again. It is almost like He says ‘well, if they don’t get it through a great story (creation, flood, patriarchs), maybe they will get it through heroes. No, well, how about songs? Poems? Pithy sayings? No? Well, let me try another way. ‘ Strip away the hamstringing of horses, killing of babies and families, stupid warring, mean kings and that is what I see. God searching for ME. And right now, that is enough in Bible Land.
May it always be so.

June 19

Psalm 137
My favorite psalm. I think this is true because I loved Linda Ronstadt's version of the psalm. I had this LP and had no problems singing along with this YouTube.


However, in searching for the Linda version, I stumbled across this one and loved it even more -- especially for the costumes. Yes, I was a child of the 70s.



If your email does not display YouTube, click HERE.


When you think of the music of your childhood, what do you remember? My mother had a record player that folded into the wall of her desk in the kitchen. We had several LPs that we played over and over. Herb Albert and the Tijuana Brass. Shirley Bassie singing GoldFinger and other hits. Chitty-Chitty Bang-Bang soundtrack. And I could sing all the songs on all the records. Not like my sister Debbie could and does, but I knew them all.
But two weeks ago in church, we sang a song and I was immediately transported back to my mother's yellow kitchen, with the ironing board setup and sitting in a yellow highbacked kitchen chair with my feet propped up on the side of the oven. Mother had a greatest hits of Gospel songs and Great is thy Faithfulness was one of them.
Does that happen to you? Why do you suppose that is? I swear, I could almost smell the Niagara Starch that my mother used.
I just looked at her, standing beside me, smiled and we sang it together.

Blessings to each of you.

June 18

NT -- Acts 12:1-23
Herod did indeed die of some terrible gastric issue according to Josephus. Parasitic worms exist in rivers and streams. Some are quite virulent. Click here for a great article regarding worms including some awesome pictures. Never let it be said that I was not interested in ooky things....
If I were God and there were folks that *I* didn't like, well, I surely would put some of my more, shall we say, distasteful creations to work for me.

But the real info in this story is the introduction of John, also called Mark. We will see the development of this young man who probably compiled the Gospel of Mark if he didn't actually write it.

OT -- 1st Kings 19:1-21
There are many myths and legends about Elijah in the Midrash. He is an extremely important teacher in the Jewish religion and figures greatly in the every day and every week lives of current practisioners of Judaism.
Click here for some examples.

Psalm 136
Our call and response that we do as Prayers of Confessions, opening verses of scriptures, even our Peace Passing, can be traced to this psalm. When you are reading it, please read it aloud. If you have an available partner, have them read one and you read the response. And I would love it if you would amend the response to "His Love for ME endures forever."

Have a blessed week and STAY IN THE WORD.

June 17

OT -- 1st Kings 18:1-46
Vs. 21 "Elijah went before the people and said, 'How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him.'"

Today, I went and had my fingernails and toenails done at Nails, Talk, and Tan at Abernathy and Mt Vernon Hwy. It is my favorite nail salon for several reasons. The first is that they have a huge staff, everyone is quick and efficient and you almost never have to wait. The second is that they were very, very kind to Matthew all those months I took him there to get his feet done. Cleats and wrestling shoes destroy your feet. Matthew has a horrible tendency to staph infections and blisters and sores from athletic shoes coupled with awful hygenie in locker rooms were a recipe for hospital visits. So, off we went to the pedicure every month. The ladies there fussed over Matthew and took excellent care of his feet.
My final reason for loving this particular nail salon is that while all the ladies and gentlemen who work there are Vietnamese and late arrivals at that, if you will talk to them, they LOVE to practice their English and really strive to speak better. So, you know me, I could talk to stump. I talk a lot to my nail technicians.
Today, I had already read the scripture when I took myself off to the salon. There, waiting just under the desk, is a Buddha with a tiny bowl of rice and water and a beautiful fresh flower. My pedicure technician was a young man wearing cut up jeans and a HUGE crucifix. My manicurist was one of my favorites -- Heena -- and she was wearing a lovely diamond crucifix.
And I thought of the scripture. Which one is God? God or Buddha?
So, I asked if they were Buddhist or Christian? The young man laughed and said, well, it is so wise to cover all, correct?
He said his parents are Buddhist but he went to a Catholic school in Vietnam and they taught him enough of the English to get a student visa to come here. So, he wears the cross to honor the nuns who were 'saving his family from hunger' and pays 'courtesy' to Buddha for his parents.
At this, Heena shot off a string of Vietnamese at him, clearly fussing at him.
Then he said, 'apologize if it offends to honor both.'

I certainly wasn't offended and would have liked to have asked him what 'courtesy' means and about his schooling. But Heena wouldn't have it.

So, does that make me wishy-washy? Serving multiple gods? There is so much about Buddhism that is very attractive to me. The meditation, the inner focus, the living in the present. There is much about Christianity and Buddhism alike that I do not like.

I love that Elijah was so certain that he could light that fire. I would have been quaking in my boots and would have had a secret stash of charcoal starter.
But clearly the priests of Baal were just as certain of THEIR god as well. It takes a lot to make people slash themselves. I don't think they just do that for a casual whim.
This religion stuff is complicated.

Psalm 135
Praise the name of the Lord;
praise him, you servants of the Lord,
you who minister in the house of the Lord,
in the courts of the house of our God.

It is good that this psalm is the reading on a Sunday. All of us should pray that section of that psalm every Sunday for our pastors. '
Being a pastor is hard work. You have secrets. You know things about people that break your heart and you probably have no one to share that hurt with. You are expected to be 'better than' and to have no temper, no ego, and to know all things Bible. You are not supposed to have addictions, depressions, marital trouble, children trouble, or financial trouble. Hard work, low pay, huge expectations.

I remember watching an interview with Billy Graham once. He said he NEVER went into a hotel room by himself first. Why?, the interviewer asked. Well, there might be a woman there and then a photograph could be taken and all sorts of implications and ramifications. So, he just didn't do it and he always had a minion to go in first.
How awful to have to think about such things!
Please, let's all pray for our pastors, our childhood pastors, and those in seminary the verses above.

Much love and restful Sunday.

June 16

OT -- 1st Kings 15:25-17:24
Enter Elijah, the foremost prophet other than Moses in the Hebrew Bible. Jesus apparently thought so as well since who was at the transfiguration? Moses and Elijah.
Elijah is an ever present figure in Judaism. He is present at every circumcision, a cup and a chair are left for him at all Seders and prayers are invoked in his name at the close of every Shabbos day (Saturday evening).
In Christianity, both John the Baptist and Jesus are compared to Elijah.
What interests me, is that Elijah is a prophet to the NORTHERN KINGDOM, not Judah. I grant you, Jezebel and Ahab are quite interesting but still, the lineage and the story happens through Judah.
Elijah, being a prophet, has very unkind words to say about Ahab, his wife, his policies regarding acquisition and his treatment of the less fortunate. Tomorrow, the story with the priests of Baal is one of my favorites in the whole Bible.
Once, when someone who was challenging me on the power of God, I told him that story. I think I ended it with "if God can burn up oxen, what is raising someone from the dead?" His response was, 'how come we never see or hear of a regenerating arm or leg?' I don't have an answer for that. I don't have an answer for a lot. But I do know that God uses stories like Elijah to remind us that He is powerful and He does intervene.

Acts 10:23b-48
Just an aside, if women aren't circumcised (and don't email me pictures of African girl babies who have been), does vs. 45 "The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles." mean that only men were in Peter's party?
Sorry, my feminist head rearing up a little.

This is a powerful story on several fronts. The first is the call of Peter and his response to the dream. Okay, it took him 3 times. But he DID response and he DID go. The second is Peter's willingness to put aside a LIFETIME of habituated responses to people who were not Jewish. Must have been really hard to do. We have that same tendency. After all, isn't Peter 'everyman'?
But the real hero of the story is Cornelius. Think about it. He has a vision. A specific vision and immediately responses and prepares for it. Cornelius isn't Jewish. He never met Jesus and he doesn't really have a background in belief, just giving. And he is so convinced that he convinces others to show up and be there for Peter. I don't know about you, but the last time someone told me about seeing visions, I didn't respond so nicely.
Powerful story. Powerful testimony.

June 15

OT -- 1st Kings 14:1-15:24
Asherah and Asherah poles
Asherah, all the commentaries agree, was a Canaanite goddess that invited the wrath of nearly all the OT prophets from Moses to Malachi. In almost every instance of a king behaving badly, there is an Asherah pole or worship to Asherah in a high place.
My Jewish rabbis say that Asherah is the reason for the 2nd and 3rd commandments.
"Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth."
The archeologists among us say that cast pottery images like the one below litter almost every dig from the 7th and 8th century BC which is the time of 1st and 2nd Kings. So much so, that the current modern scholarship calls the discovery of one as a symbol of a family's piety.



And then, there is the speculation that originally Yahweh was not a sole god. Click here to read up on that. THAT is something that I chose not to dwell on.

However, I am fascinated with the constant refrain about the Asherah poles and high place worship.
Living as we do in a CNN and internet world, I am aware of all the awful ways that a person can be evil. Sexual issues, murder, power abuses, theft, torture, you name it. I WISH that I did not know some of the awful things I do know. And, you know me, I am so much the ostrich that I have almost completely cut the news out of my life because of man's inhumanity to men and other species that I just cannot bear to hear it anymore.
In the Bible, however, the judgment of evil by the king or the kingdom is limited to this reference as to Asherah, her/his pole, and the worship in high places.
So, here are my speculations:
1. This is a euphemism for all the bad, awful ways people behave. This is a definite possibility especially in light of the fact that there CLEARLY was editing of these scriptures at a later time by a limited number of men with very specific aims in mind.
I hesitate on this one since the Bible is descriptive of other ways that men can be cruel to others and other species. Why just in this regard would this be the euphemism.
2. Since the writer(s) of 1st and 2nd Kings were intent on explaining WHY the exiles/demolitions happened and this is the #2 and #3 commandment of the Lord God, it is easy to pin it on false/idol worship.
This one also makes uncomfortable since Jeremiah and Isaiah go to great lengths to expostulate against the pole worship and what trouble it will get the various kings into. Those two prophets are definitely not written by the same author(s) of Kings.
Chronicles also discusses pole worship though not so much as Kings.
3. This really was the kings of Judah/Israel's weakness. Being kings, pretty much every behavior was excused but not idol worship and certainly not the 'imported' idol worship.
I have problems with this theory as well.

As my math teacher once told me about the unsolvable problem that was in my calculus book -- it's a pretty problem and will run your mind in circles.

But I really wish I knew the answer. Do you have a theory?

Acts 10:1-23a
Peter and his threes.
Three times for the denial, three times for feed my lambs/sheep, three times for the command to eat all meat. He could be a slow learner, that Peter.
Actually, 3 is an important number in Roman times. It symbolizes completeness, wholeness and sturdiness. Perhaps the repetition of 3 times for a command give it added weight. Whatever the reason for it, remember that Luke is Paul's man. And Paul was far more interested in converting Gentiles to Christianity rather than Jews and supported the eradication of food laws, circumcision and other holdovers from Jewish law.

Psalm 133
How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity!
AMEN!

June 14

NT -- Acts 9:26-43
vs. 31 "Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace. It was strengthened; and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it grew in numbers, living in fear of the Lord."
The peaceable times. The ordinary times. Green banner days.
These are the times that most of us live in most of the time.
Nothing noteworthy. Doesn't seem like much is happening.
Not many high holidays and the feasts that there are are ones because the tomatoes are ripe or it is the first corn of the season or we are home from vacation so let's go to Nanny's for dinner and a swim.
But if these are the ordinary times, the 'normal', what does our scripture have to say about them?
It was strengthened.
Well, how so?
I think, when I am in my normal routine and ritual of the day, chores, projects, telephone calls and emails happen and get taken care of. Crisis time -- not so much.
If this is true for me, could it be true for the church as well? The bills are paid, Sunday School happens, the sick are visited, children baptised, people married and buried, things get taken care of.
Crisis time at church -- budget crunch, a pastor quits, a really important couple divorces or leaves. Things don't happen on time, are skittery, people don't feel loved on.
The result of normal? In my household, it is consistent grades, consistent weight and exercise programs, good meals, relatively smooth parent/child relationships and husband/wife. Strengthened. Growing in numbers.

So, my prayers for you and me tonight is that we live in the green times, conscious that this is where we and our families are strengthened for the work of the Lord.

June 13

OT -- 1st Kings 11:1-12:19
Just a quickie as I am very tired and have to get up very early.
I feel like Rehoboam should have had his butt kicked. WHAT AN IDIOT.

June 12

OT -- 1st Kings 9:1-10:29
As we start in on the many, many kings listed in 1st and 2nd Kings, it will be helpful to know the chronology of the kings. Here is a great website that will give you that chronology. Please bookmark the page and refer to it as needed. If there is a prophet associated with a king, I will try and point that out. It will be helpful to read that prophet.

The Kings of Israel and Judah

How interesting that the Queen of Sheba should show up in the OT scriptures and the Ethiopian official should be in our NT. Although archeologists are not certain where Sheba actually was, it was most probably in Ethiopia. This is why there are colonies of Jews in Ethiopia that trace their ancestry all the way back to this time. It is also postulated that this is where the Ark of the Covenant was sent in order to be preserved from the rampages of the Babylonians. Read this fascinating article in the Smithsonian regarding the Ark, its keeper, and the many claims they have on Judaism and Christianity.

It would seem, from the author of Acts, that clearly in Jesus' time, high court officials from Ethiopia were coming to worship, validating the above claims. See what you think.

Psalm 130

Check out The Message version of psalm 130!

Psalm 130

The Message (MSG)
Psalm 130
A Pilgrim Song
1-2 Help, God—the bottom has fallen out of my life! Master, hear my cry for help!
Listen hard! Open your ears!
Listen to my cries for mercy.

3-4 If you, God, kept records on wrongdoings,
who would stand a chance?
As it turns out, forgiveness is your habit,
and that's why you're worshiped.

5-6 I pray to God—my life a prayer—
and wait for what he'll say and do.
My life's on the line before God, my Lord,
waiting and watching till morning,
waiting and watching till morning.

7-8 O Israel, wait and watch for God—
with God's arrival comes love,
with God's arrival comes generous redemption.
No doubt about it—he'll redeem Israel,
buy back Israel from captivity to sin.

I love this psalm. I have marked it for the hard times and times when I am guilt ridden. For me, guilt is quite a burden. I am not sure if it is because I am a mother or if it is because I am a Protestant, but I haul around a big ole' sack of guilt. Actually, I was guilt-ridden even before I had kids, now I just have more of it.
But look at that lovely line "forgiveness is your habit". A habit. What if I made a habit of dropping my guilt off? Doing what I can to fix whatever and then asking for forgiveness and then moving on? You have to practice that one. It is far, far easier to wallow in your guilt. At least it is for me. It is an act of pure will for me to move on. So for now, I am going to practice the habit of accepting God's forgiveness. Come join me and lay your burdens down on the One who gives 'generous redemption'.

Peace to you.

June 11

For the last several days, this question has been popping up. I got it twice today. So, I thought I would respond here to anyone who hasn't asked the question but has it in their minds.
Question: So, how do you feel NOW about reading the Bible in a Year and your blog?
Answer: The pat answer is that I would not have made it this far into the Bible if I hadn't had the blog. Having to post something every day has really kept me accountable.
I have a bad habit of committing to a large escapade and then when the going gets rough, ditching.
And I have had some rough moments early on with time commitments and now with some of the material that I have been reading. It makes me realize just how selective we are in Sunday School, preaching topics, scripture quotes when you get to some of the more, shall we say, distasteful scriptures. I crave a good Bible teacher to help me through these passages. Even my medieval rabbis have deserted me on these passages giving it the standard "it is all God's plan" or just plain silence. Not Torah, you see, just the 'minor' books of the Tankh.
But if I have been questioning, God has been FAITHFUL. At almost every turn of the outburst of 'I just don't get it and I just don't understand', I have felt and seen the presence of God. You might call that "A Sign".
Today in Sunday School, Ron was teaching on Isaiah chapter 7-8 and the video instructor quoted these verses: vs. 10-12 "Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz (king of Judah), 'Ask the Lord your God for a sign, whether in the deepest depths or the highest heights.'
But Ahaz said, 'I will not ask; I will not put the Lord to the test.'"
I guess I am not as faithful as Ahaz, I would have asked for a sign. But it doesn't matter. God provides me one when I need it.
Last week, for example, I was all over the money issue in one of rich boy Solomon's proverbs and the lack of discussion in church about money. What did Ron preach about last Sunday? Money. What it can and can't buy. I took that as a sign.
You can take me as a crazy woman. Hearing voices, seeing billboards, reading bird poop and bird behavior (I do this, too. I just don't write about it.)
But I find it totally reassuring that God is on this journey with me and knows and appreciates my doubts, questions, arguments, disbelief, even my temper tantrums.
And if I have learned one thing in this Bible in a Year, it is to keep going.
And Dear Reader, I have a debt of gratitude to you. I would have missed this whole, glorious conversation with God because I would have bailed but I was afraid to let you down.
So, now, let me inspire you. If you are in a hard place with these parts, be kind to yourself. Lay the burden on God. I promise, He is so much bigger than Solomon and his fancy-smancy golden palaces and John's pretentious Jesus.
But keep going. You can do this. We can do this together.

Grace and Peace to you.

June 10

Psalm 128
"You will eat the fruit of your labor; blessing and prosperity will be yours."
Tonight for dinner we had pork chops from a pig that I hauled to the butcher. Green beans and new potatoes from my garden, swiss chard and corn from my friend Lynn that I traded cheese I had made, and blueberries from my bushes. As a gardener, I know what eating the fruits of my labor are.
Except that, some years, you dig, and hoe, and bust your fanny and rabbits shear off the tender bean vines before they start to climb. And bugs and/or those nasty white grubs tunnel and mush up every potato. A late frost takes every blueberry and squirrels decimate the plums and the apples. The pig has a jaundiced liver and all the meat has to be thrown out.
Same amount of labor. Totally different results.
David knew what hard work was. He was a farm boy, a shepherd, low man in his household of many and grew up working. He knew feast and famine, plenty and drought.
His concept of blessing and prosperity are not simply hard work. It is that the blessings come from walking in the way of the Lord.
Does that mean that you won't see hard times and death and disease?
I don't think so because David uses the Hebrew verb tense that we translate 'may' and holds some definite uncertainty. It is to be 'hoped' for, but not automatic distribution.
And while David did live to see his 'children's children', I would venture to guess that the 'olive shoots' around David's table may not have the blessings that David hoped and longed for.


OT -- 1st Kings 7:1-51
Do you remember "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous"? Some British dude named Robin hosted it. The show would have the cars, houses, toys, and parties of the uber-rich or at least the ones that ran around flaunting it.
Solomon would have fit right on in with that show.
What are we supposed to make of this passage of scripture? Should we ooh and ahh over the blessings that Solomon got?
Are we to take this as a precautionary tale? After all, we know the end of the story.
But if you have this much money and you are the king of Israel, shouldn't you live in all the splendor money and Huram the bronze maker can provide? After all, this probably was a huge 'works' project for Jerusalem. Think of the trickle down money from all the construction.....
Something about it just turns this poor little Puritan's stomach. It is probably a good thing that I go to a spare Presbyterian church. I would feel uncomfortable with the gold paneling....


May you have the blessings that arise from your walk with the Lord.

June 9

NT -- Acts 7:1-29
This is a great YouTube of the scripture.



Click here if your email doesn't display YouTube.

Psalm 127

"Sons are a heritage from the Lord, children a reward from him." vs. 3

It is hard to remember this sometimes when you are in the thick of raising teenagers. When I am in THAT place, I go get my journals from that time. A few days ago, I read an entry that I had written when Cole was 3. He started screaming bloody murder and I ran out into the backyard where he was laying on his tummy in the middle of the new plowed garden patch.
He wasn't crying. He was screaming every single time a bean 'popped' out of the ground. I had planted green beans several days before with him and Matt and each morning, he wanted to go see if the beans had 'chatched'. (Speech impediment). This particular morning, he went out on his own and discovered the popping.
It takes a child to recognize the miracle of bean germination. It also takes teenagers to remind us that it is time for them to move on. Let us hope we have done our own Godly germination.

OT
Solomon's Temple

June 8

OT --1 Kings 3:4-4:34
I first heard the story of the two babies, one alive, one dead and the two mothers as a small child. Mother had a Children's Bible that had pictures and short stories and she read to Alfred, Debbie and me each evening. Of all the stories that she read, this one is the only one I remember.
I even remember the picture, Solomon is sitting sideways on his throne and the two women (I don't think the Children's called them prostitutes....) are at his feet with the baby wrapped in a white blanket. There is a man with a raised sword to the side.
Why this story would stick in my mind and not, say, Jonah, I have no idea.
I do know that even to this day, the story haunts me.
Today, one of my co-workers whose son was at Disney World last week for his one year anniversary said that at dinner at a Disney restaurant, a man with two children overheard their plans. The man said his wife had taken ill and if they would take his children -- 7 & 9 year old boys -- on the ride, he would give them their tickets which were for 3 hours earlier. That way, the man could go back and check on his wife.
My first response was that if Don had ever handed Matthew and Cole over to a perfect stranger, I would have killed him. Okay, this couple looks and acts and really are very, very nice. But they are strangers.
Even as a young child, I knew the dead baby's mother should never have any more children. Her value of that child's life was less than her pride.
Is our time worth less than the safety and wholeness of our children?

It is amazing to me that DAvid would be the O Favored one and not wise, wealthy Solomon.

June 7

OT -- 1st Kings 2:1-3:3
Well, we could hope for the peaceful transition, now couldn't we?
I think I fail to realize just how infrequently power shifts peacefully in this world. We are indeed fortunate to live here.
David reminds me of Don Corleone in his last moments.



Skip to minute 2:40 to watch Vito instruct Michael the way David instructs Solomon. Click here if your email doesn't display YouTube.


NT -- Acts 5:1-42

Okay, so how do you feel about Ananias and his oh so lovely but greedy wife Sapphira? And what does this tell you about Peter?
Was this a misuse of his power? Or justified? How many second chances did Peter get?

Check out this commentary on that scripture. I am not sure I am in agreement with it but it does provide some context.

What are your feelings?

Proverbs 16:25
This one seems totally appropriate to the above story.
I am assuming that Ananias thought it was the right thing to do but it did lead to his death. And his wife. Frightening.

June 6

OT -- 1st kings 1:1-53
Today we begin 1st Kings. It is tempting to see 1st Kings as a direct continuation of 2nd Samuel. However, the authors are not the same nor is the aim of the book. 2nd Samuel was written using prophet notes and documents. 1st Kings was written using court documents and records. 2nd Samuel is a much, much earlier book than 1st Kings which was probably written after the Babylonian exile.
My study Bible says to look for prophetic warnings in the book. since the book was at least compiled after the Exile, it is logical to assume that the authors were trying to justify the destruction of the Temple and the captivities.

Our scripture today opens with David in his last moments unable to regulate his body temperature thus the Shunammite girl. The line of succession is briefly interupted by an unworthy heir with Bathsheba and the prophet Nathan taking charge to establish Solomon as the true heir to the throne. Our scriptures today indicate that it was a peaceful transition, whether it will be all the way, is for another day. '

NT -- Acts 4:1-37
Told not to speak or teach about Jesus, Peter and John ignore the High Priests and Sanhendrin Council. P & J continue to proclaim Jesus is the Anointed One, Sovereign Lord, etc.
After Kim's comment about Jesus being the 'author of life', I remembered a blog post from an orthodox Jewish woman. It was about all the names that God is called and why His name is changed so much. Go check it out:

As Americans, we have an immediate gut reaction to the holding of goods in common. How could we not, after so many years of anti-Communistic propaganda and our constant mantra of self-improvement by acquistion. And lest you think I am in favor of the whole goods-in-common, I most definitely am NOT. I have the same reaction. However, I would ask that you read these next few scripture passages with a new eye. The statement should not be 'that will not/would not ever work' and should be the questions 'why did they begin the church that way? and 'what can we learn about being Christian from their examples?'.
Then, let's talk about right and wrong and the implications of the whole goods-in-common.

June 5

OT -- 2 Samuel 23:24-24:25
Chapter 24 does not make sense unless you remember that it was against God's law to census the Children of Israel. There were 'token' censuses taken -- but always something other than a man was counted. They would bring a piece of silver, a sheaf of wheat, something other than just counting the man himself. David had Joab count the men.
It will also make more sense when we read of the split between Israel and Judah after Solomon's death. Israel became the 'evil one' with Judah more closely aligned with God.
2nd Samuel ends on this totally depressing and awful note.

NT -- Acts 3:1-26
Oh, oh, oh Peter! He is stirring up some trouble right now. About the only thing the Pharisees can say good about this whole sermonette is that at least the healing did not happen on a Sabbath. Peter accuses them of killing Jesus and ignoring the prophets. He is going to be in big, big trouble...

Proverbs 16:21-23
Look at these three proverbs as a set. The wise are: discerning, promoting instruction, have long life, guide their mouths.
Discerning means to be able to tell good from bad. It is one of the key attributes of wisdom. Without it, you definitely are not wise. The promoting instruction is a new one from these sets. If you are wise, you naturally want to teach? Maybe to protect and instruct those you love. But there is a fine line from instruction to blatant meddling and in the immortal words of Ann Landers : MYOB may be the better part of valor more times than it isn't.
Many take the long life as a reward for being wise but I am not sure that is what this says. I think you have a hard time being wise IF YOU HAVEN'T had a long life. I have learned more in the last 3 years about life and living than I think I did in the previous 45. I know there is still so much more to learn and do. And how very precious life is. These are things that I did not know at 20 when I THOUGHT I was so very, very smart.
And the final one in our wisdom set -- guiding the mouth. Well, that is always a problem for me so FAIL on that one. But I will say, the wisest people I know LISTEN a whole lot more than they TALK.

Prayers for each of you as you grow and stretch.

June 4

Psalm 122
"I rejoiced with those who said to me, 'Let us go to the house of the Lord.'"

Oh, if evangelism was that easy! Or hauling children or reluctant spouses or boyfriends.
My friend Laura says that getting people to go to church is easy if you are good. I must be very, very bad then. No one is at Mt Vernon because of me. Not even Don.
*HE* drug me there.

Check out this post by Nancy's Noodle and see how you feel about her church's evangelism.
Then, let's look into our own hearts and churches and see where we fit on the scale.

Nancy's Noodle

June 3

Thank you to everyone who has read or clicked on my blog. Today, I passed 3,500 views. I appreciate all the support, comments, questions, and prayers.

OT -- 2 Samuel 20:14-22:20
Another hard scripture part to deal with. Today, someone asked me what I have learned so far in my Bible in Year. What I have learned is that pastors, Sunday School lessons, Women's Bible studies, even the medieval Rabbis, none of them want to deal with the really hard passages other than to say -- we can't know the mind of God.
No, but we surely know the minds of men and men use religion ALL THE TIME to justify brutality and cruelty to other humans and lifeforms. What David did to Saul's descendants is brutality in barest form. I do not believe that God affirmed that decision.
Reading the Bible this way is messing with a lot of my composure.
Tough.
If you are having the same issues I am, please know that you are not alone. I am, however, pressing on. I encourage you to do the same. There has to be some reason these scriptures have endured for thousands of years.

NT -- Acts 1:1-26
Today, we leave the gospels and venture into the only 1st hand account we have of the early church, Acts.
The actual full title is Acts of The Apostles. The word apostle means 'one who is sent' and that is referring to the ones Jesus sent out into the world to bring people to God.
Acts is the second book of the author of Luke and is a continuation of that story. The author briefly recounts Jesus' last days with his disciples after the resurrection and his ascension. After this,the book recounts the coming of the Holy Spirit, the organization of the early church and Paul's missionary journeys.
It has been postulated that Luke and Acts were actually supposed to have been part of a trilogy. Acts ends abruptly with Paul's arrival in Rome for his trial. The postulation is that either the 3rd book was lost or not completed.
For many of us, there are huge parts of Acts that are not read or studied in Sunday School or church. And unlike the gospels, we do not have other Biblical sources to look back and forth to understand what was going on.
Hopefully, this will be a great time of study for each of us.

Psalm 121
Love this one!

Proverbs 16:18
Nice to know where this one came from!

june 2

NT -- JOhn 21:1-25
The final chapter in John. What have we learned about Jesus from reading this book? I think my greatest impression that I have come away from John with is that Jesus was a riddler. And I am still not sure why. But he is very, very human in John with needs and wants and desires that seem very natural to me.
Here is a great sermon from Owen Stepp on these passages from John. Skip to minute 26 to get right to sermon although the choir has a SMOKIN' anthem just before it that is uber-worthy!
Click here to see it.

Proverbs 16:16-17
How much better to get wisdom than gold, to choose understanding rather than silver.

It is the first of the month and bills are due. This proverb is not resonating well with me today.
Long ago, when I had quit work to stay home with the boys and we were on a shoestring budget, I read in Sarah Ban Breathnach's book Simple Abundance, that you should have a routine and ritual for paying bills. Good, bad month, no difference. Soothing music, nice clothes and makeup on so you can pop right on out to the postbox with your completed, a nice cup of chamomile tea to tide you over the bumpy patch.
I laughed then, but now, not so much.
Is wisdom better than gold? Is it better to be smart and savvy rather than filthy rich?
If Solomon wrote this proverb, how on earth did he know? He was never poor.
If I sound down, it is because I paid my bills without my routine, in a hurry, without my tea and in a sweat from mowing a lawn. Then I raced out to the bank, got in an ugly traffic jam and a big argument.
I am thinking I am having bad bill karma.
What is your relationship to money? does it interfere, hinder, or enhance your relationship to God? And when money is tight or non-existent, how does that affect the God-you tightrope? Do you pray about money? Or should you not be crass and just pray for wisdom to know better to earn more?
Matthew is peeping over my shoulder right now and says I should delete this post as you shouldn't talk about money at church. Bad form. But it is a very real factor in my life and I cannot think I am alone.
At the stoplight, just before I crossed Roswell Road, I had my money pep talk. You know, the one that goes "We have enough for today, tomorrow and then some. We know how to be cheap, to conserve. We have always had food on the table and a roof over our head. Be at peace. We are provided for." But part of me wants to be rich and never having to worry about bills ever again. And that part doesn't much care about wisdom, I am afraid. Just shopping.

Grace and Peace to each of you.