19th Sunday in Ordinary Time, August 9, 2020

Readings:

Acts 10,  25-26,  34-35, 44-48,  God shows no partiality.

Psalm 98,    The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.

1 John 4, 7-10,   Let us love one another.

 John 15, 9-17, As the Father has loved me, so I love you.  I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and your joy be complete.

 1 John and John 15, perfect, fitting readings for Mother's Day

Victoria says, "Hi, Everybody, Welcome in."

Acts:  Another review–

Author: Luke, who wrote both the Gospel and Acts

Date: ca. 40-50 years after the death of Jesus

Our selection: This same selection was read on Easter Sunday.  What is happening is this.  Last Sunday we began the second half of Acts, from chapter 9 to the end.  Last week's reading had to do with Paul returning to the community in Jerusalem after he had his conversion experience on the road to Damascus. 

This week we get into chapter 10 which focuses on two characters: Peter and a Gentile (non-Jew) captain in the Roman army named Cornelius.  Cornelius was supposed to be a good man and he has a voice call him, "Cornelius." "What is it, sir?" he answers.  The voice tells him to go a town called Joppa and talk with a man named Peter.  Cornelius sends two servants.

Emma & Beth, also, say, "Hi, Everybody."

Meanwhile in Joppa Peter has that vision we talked about Easter Sunday: a sheet coming down from the sky with a multitude of animals.  Many of the animals are considered ritually impure by Jews.  Peter is told by a voice to eat from these animals, but Peter refuses.  While this is going on the two servants arrive and the voice tells Peter to go with them.  Peter arrives at Captain Cornelius' house and that is where we take up the story.

Luke is interested here not so much in history as in convincing his readers that the Gentiles as well as Jews are included in the new religion.

Source: Good News Bible

And, of course, our precious Genevieve is all ready for everybody.

Psalms:

Dates:Put together at ca. 300 years BCE.

Author(s): The old belief that David composed all 150 Psalms is just myth.  The reality: many people and groups of people composed the psalms over centuries.

Purpose: songs of gratitude, sorrow, pain, and longing to be sung by the Jewish people, especially in the temple and later in the synagogue.  Special songs were composed for feast days like passover and the feast of lights, to name just two.

Source:Bishop (Episcopal) John Shelby Spong, Origins of the Bible XXV, published 5-2-09 in Mirabile Dictu

Zoe and Tori, the candle lighters are helped by the big sister, Georgie.

A Mother’s Day Story

I would like to tell you a Mother’s Day story this morning.  This is a “hope you don’t have a kid like this” story.  And if you do, maybe it will give you a little hope. 

I admit that I have told this story at least once during the 15 or so years I was working at St. Mark’s.  I don’t think I have told the story here.  If you have already heard it, visit the coffee shop in the back with the kids.

The Beautiful Natalie.

The story took place many years ago.  It was a chilly, damp, gray day in probably November.  It was a Saturday.  Myself and maybe 5-6 of my buddies from Christ the King grade school took the city buses downtown to watch a movie.  At most we were 7^th grade, 11 or 12 years old.

There used to be 3-4 theaters downtown, the Majestic, the Palace, and others.  There was a bus line down Preston Road near my house in University Park and another on Airline, coming along the SMU campus, west side, the Hillcrest side.  We used both bus lines because some of the guys lived further east in University Park.

Emma and Zoe covering world affairs.

So we go to the movie.  We come out, and somewhere, probably at a dime store (remember those?), we buy water pistols.  Then we race around town and run in and out of the department stores, like Neiman’s, having water pistol fights.

Finally, about 4:30, we get on our buses, some on the Airline bus, myself and another guy on the Preston bus.

We get off at my corner, Stanford St., and walk the 2 blocks to my house.  In my back yard I had built a fort some years earlier.  It was on the west side of our house against the west side picket fence.  The fence was against a hedge about 7 feet tall, which ran along the driveway to the garage of our neighbors’ house, Mr. & Mrs. Barnes. 

Cupcakes of the Week to Richard and Monica.

My friend & I went in the fort and hung out.  At one point Mr. & Mrs. Barnes walked along their driveway and got into their car in the garage.  My friend & I climbed onto the roof of the fort. 

Mr. & Mrs. Barnes started backing their car, a white Cadillac, out the driveway.  She was dressed formally and he was in a tux, if I remember correctly.  Mr. Barnes’ head was slightly out the window of his car, looking back. 

And to J.T.

You guessed it, folks.  As they passed by us, we leaned over and let loose with our water pistols. 

Suddenly I knew I was in deep doo doo.   Mr. Barnes backed past the hedge, stopped, got out, and walked over to our front door.  We ran around the opposite side of our house, went across the street, and hid in the bushes.  At that point, my buddy took off. 

After Mr. Barnes finished talking with my mom, he left, and I was ready to go back downtown and move into The Bridge, claiming I was homeless.  Trouble was, The Bridge had not yet been built.  I had to go home, which I finally did.

And even to Fred.

My mom?  She was so mad!   Actually, I think she spanked me with her hair brush.  It was probably a useless gesture, because I was a little big for it to do much harm.  Either way, I felt like a really bad kid.  During the next 6 years I was quite capable of equally dumb acts.  And you wonder why I thought I better get in the Jesuits 6 years later or I was going to hell? 

Shonda, Bethany, Beth, Michelle, Mary, Erin Pack, Erin McClurg, & Cathy and all you moms and grandmoms with young kids, I pray that you don’t have the same challenges my mom had.   Happy Mother’s Day.

Genevieve says, "Wake me up when that old guy stops talking."

Readings:

Zechariah  9, 9-10,   Rejoice heartily, shout for joy.

Psalm 145,   I will praise your name forever, my king and my God. 

Romans 8, 9, 11-13,  You are in the spirit.

Matthew  11, 25-30,  Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.

Emma says, "Come in, Everybody, Welcome."

Zechariah:  Zechariah is the 11th of the 12 Minor Prophets and lived just when the Hebrews were released from the 70 year long Babylonian Captivity, in other words around 555 B.C. He is in Jerusalem and encourages the people to rebuild the temple.

He is called a minor prophet only because his little work has simply 14 chapters, unlike the Big 3, Isaiah, Jeremiah, & Ezekiel, who have many chapters, in fact 66 for Isaiah.

He was a favorite of the N.T. writers because he is rich in messiah predictions.  Today we have one of those visions.   You might picture how this message is coming across.  The people have been crushed, they have been slaves in Babylon, and the Jerusalem they have returned to is nothing but disaster. 

Sophia, also, says, "Hi, Everybody, Welcome."

Psalm 145, 8-9: here it is again, The Terrific Line: "The Lord is gracious & merciful, slow to anger and abounding in love."  Watch for it.

July 4, Independence Day

July 4, 1776, Declaration of Independence signed.

50^th anniversary, July 4, 1826: two signers of the Declaration died, the only 2 to serve as presidents, mutual friends, Thomas Jefferson & John Adams (excellent source, David McCullough’s John Adams).

Ever wanted to see what two people look like just after they have just finished an Ironman? Take a look and Chad and Kayli. Looking pretty good.

My Yoke is Easy and my Burden Light

This morning I would like to talk about Matthew’s statement about Jesus saying, My yoke is easy and my burden light.  I would also like to include that line which is one of my most favorite lines from the Bible, The Lord is gracious and merciful, never gets angry, and is abounding in love.

I would suggest the first line about my burden being light is influenced, sometimes, by the fact that the Lord is gracious and merciful.  On the other hand, however, sometimes the burden is really blasted heavy.  For example…  The Story of The Week:

Chad finishing.

Thursday afternoon Rosemary & I had just left Plano Cycling, where I had left my bike to have it fitted with a new chain and cassette, the gear assembly on the rear wheel.  I was feeling pretty proud of myself, that I had actually worn out a bike chain and cassette.  I thought only Tour de France people did such things.

So, we are in the van headed south on Central.  The usual traffic, especially for those exiting onto the Bush just past Plano Parkway.  I knew we had to get out into the middle to avoid that blockage. 

Kayli crossing the finish line, Coeur d'Elane, Idaho.

I move over from the right lane.  I want to move over even to the next lane.  I’m watching in the side mirror.  Finally, before the blockage I see a space and move over in front of a big white pickup that seems way back far enough. 

The guy in the pickup, however, seems upset.  Next thing I know his front bumper is in the back of our van.  I can see the hairs in his nostrils.  I can see the color of his eyes, black with flames shooting out.

Offertory, Grace (Ironmanmomma of Kayli), Mary Ellen, and Donna.

Then, yes, you guessed it.  There was space to the left in those lanes.  So my friend swerves to the left, floors it, stomps on the horn, races past us with various hand signals, and swerves back in front of us, where he proceeds another 100 yards before he has to hit the brakes because he was climbing the back side of another car.

What did I do?  Well, I did not follow my impulse to blow our horn.  I also did not want Rosemary cussing me out.  I did nothing but continue along south bound Central.  I am grateful for that.

The Old Man of The Mountains returned, Mike.

As we drive along and talk about this, I admit that if I knew this guy’s story instead of judging the book by the cover, my favorite path, I would probably be more empathic.  Has he just lost his job, his wife, his dignity?  Has he come from a horrible childhood that has him permanently damaged and angry?  This is my profession.   I know this.  His behavior in itself says so much.

Tell this guy your yoke is light and your burden in life is easy.  He would laugh and probably cuss you out.  How many people have burdens that are not light?   No way.

Look at these kids coming across the border.  The little girls, 10-14 years of age, really carrying a heavy burden.

Namesakes: Two Rosemarys, or YoYo & RoRo.

You hear the story of this Louie Zamperini, who just died in his nineties?  After his B-24 went down in the Pacific during the war with Japan, he and two other guys spent 47 days on a flimsy raft.  After being rescued by a Japanese boat, life got only more brutal in the numerous prison camps he spent time in before being released after the war. 

So how do you carry the load if you are Zamperini or the pickup driver? 

This sounds almost insulting or obscene, but it is psychologically sound, acceptance.  Accept what is happening to keep my mind and spirit sane.  Zamperini said that he also worked to keep his spirit alive and hopeful, disciplining himself like he did when he was an Olympic sprinter.

This is where I suggest contemplating the positive.  Maybe my childhood was horrible and my life is bad.   Can I not find love and graciousness somewhere? 

Perhaps that pickup driver is suffering.  He does not seem to be handling his suffering well.

How do you deal with the heavy burden?

She's back, Folks, the party is over. RoRo doing her blessing.

Wisdom 7, I pleaded and the spirit of wisdom was given to me.

Psalm 90, Fill us with your love, O Lord and we will sing for joy

Hebrew 6, The word of God is living and effective. 

Mark 10, We have given up everything and followed you.

Ben, the Magic Man, sharing life.

Thanks……

Music,    Ben 

Readers,    Patricia & Fred, & Buddy, our candle blesser 

Gospel,     John Cade

Homily,   John Stack

Eucharistic Prayer A & B,  John Stack & John Cade

The Magic Zoom makers,      Hue & Mike & Richard

Final Blessing, Rosemary

Patricia reading from Wisdom.

Readings: 

Homily by John Stack,  

Download John Stack homily 10-10-2021

Fred reading from Hebrews.

Remember these special people:

For Becky & Tom's son, Austin, who took his life this past week;  For John & Karen Anderlick's grandson, Cooper John who lived only a few hours with his parents;   For Rosemary's great niece, Rylie;  For Richard's grand daughter, Madeleine;   For Esparza's new great grandson  & Frank;  For all the medical personnel struggling to treat the tsunami of sick people, in particular, locally, Cindy's staff at Presby, Dallas, and at Frisco Presby, the mother of Harper and Betsy, Kendle, working in labor & delivery, and for Hue & Linda's daughter, Doctor Rosemary Beavers;   For Mary & Dave Hall's g-daughter Allison Keller working at St. Lukes, The Woodlands,   For Sir Charlie & Jan;  Shonda's mom & Cody &  Leo & all of Shonda's dear family; For Ursuline Sr. Mary Troy,

Rosemary's sister Clare, and her husband, Joe Mazzei.

Jackie's mom, sister, & friend, Lynn;  For Rick Turner searching for a kidney donor, Type O neg.; For Meredith, cancer free & John Schanot;    For John O'Donnell & Jean;   For Jean & Cliff Wright;  For Dee, and for her daughters, Lisa & Lauren  ;  For Anthony & Sabrina;    For a young man who is suffering from depression;  John Cade's mother in law, Kalliopi Piskiouli and Lambrini, plus John's daughter, Joey, with cancer; from Barbara, a little baby boy named Ford recuperating from an operation & a nephew; for David McKeon's brother, Hugh; For Beth's friends & brother;   for the medical staffs, teachers, and coaches in our public & private schools.

Welcome in, Jan & Sir Charlie

Birthdays:  Richard  

Anniversaries:  

Peace. Everybody!

Community Finances,   October 10, 2021

Expenses: $

Outreach: $

Thanks again, Folks, for doing what you can.

May you have a safe & peaceful relocation to Alabama, Patricia & Fred.

Rosemary's Blessing: 

Given to me by Lynda Fleming, Author Unknown

Welcome Back home, Paul & Carrie.

Notice, Everybody: The blog will not be published the next three Sundays.  The Editors will be on a Viking cruise on the Mediterranean.  Next edition will be published November 7.

Readings: Genesis 2, 18-24; Psalm 128, May the Lord bless Us all the Days of Our Lives; Hebrews 2, 9-11; Mark 10, 2-16.

Genesis:

Date of Compilation: Most likely during the Babylonian Captivity, i.e., around 600-550 BCE.  But the material for the sources was coming together over 200 years.

Authors:  4 major sources–

The J or Y source (for Yahweh), coming from Judah, the southern half of the divided Jewish state after Solomon's death.

The E source (for Elohim), coming from Israel, the northern half of the Jewish state which was destroyed by the Assyrians ca. 700 BCE.

The D source (from Deuteronomy), coming from the revisions of the prophet Jeremiah's & his companions.

The P source (from the priests), which or who during the Babylonian time took the material from the first 3 sources, wove them together, edited them. 

How do you know: by text analysis, noting different styles of writing, place references (e.g. mention of the Tigris & Euphrates in our chapter 2, which says "Babylon."), event references, people references, and agendas behind the stories (e.g. Sabbath & Creation Story #1).

Subject Matter: A panorama stretching from the two stories of creation, through The Fall, Cain & Abel, Noah & the flood, the Tower of Babylon, the Patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, & Jacob, Joseph and his jealous brothers, Joseph as governor of Egypt & his brothers' visit & eventual migration to Egypt. 

Our Selection: we will read the whole of creation story #2, chapter 2.  The story comes from the Y or J source, but note the mention of the Tigris & Euphrates, which a person in Babylon would appreciate  ( A clue that a priestly source has inserted a geographic reference.  Why would a Jewish high priest be familiar with Babylonian rivers?  Babylonian Captivity. ).

Hebrews: We will read from Hebrews for the next 6 weeks (excluding All Saints), right up to the feast of Christ the King, which marks the end of the liturgical year.  Then we begin Advent and a new liturgical year.

Author: unknown, but he wrote excellent Greek.  Not Paul.

When Written: 85-95 CE, i.e., 50 plus years after Jesus' death

Subject: superiority of Christ.  Rather convoluted.

Sources St. Louis U. Sundays, John Shelby Spong

Concerning Divorce, Remarriage, & Adultery

After hearing what was said about divorce and remarriage, I can imagine you are thinking, "Okay, Stack, what are you going to say about this topic?"  I intend to talk about it.  But first, a story.

The first week of September Rosemary & I went to Seattle to be part of Gloria Eshelbrenner's wedding.  Since it was our first trip to Seattle, we traveled there on Monday.  We had been told that we would not need to rent a car because our little B & B was close to the center of town.  Great. 

So I am looking at transportation from the airport, shuttle, Gray Line tour bus, or city bus for ca. $2.  Guess which I suggested to Rosemary.  It is not only the cheapest, but the most adventurous.  We took the Gray Line.  Which deposited us in the center of town, where we walked a block or so, having an ice cream along the way, to a city bus, which turned out to be an electric bus.  Great. 

Half way along the route our electric bus breaks down.  The overhead pulley disconnected from the electric cable and the driver could not reconnect it. 

We had been talking with people around us and when we stopped a number tried to help us find where we were going.  Finally a guy stepped forward, asked the address, said he thought he lived close to our address, and told us to follow him. 

We walked up hill, caught another electric bus, rode a mile or so, got off, turned up a street, and the guys said, "There is your house.  I live in that house across the street."  We were touched by the hospitality of the people on the bus and especially of this new neighbor. 

I remember this incident when I reflect on the words of Jesus, "whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her; and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery."  Strong words.  Five comments: Jesus' words, hospitality, Mark's environment, Mark's intention, for us.

First, you may put your money on it that these words are not words of Jesus.  Students of the bible consider almost no words directly attributed to Jesus to be his exact words. 

Why?  Because Mark did not know Jesus and he is writing from oral sources 30 years after Jesus' death.  They had no recording machines in those days.  Can you remember what happened 30 years ago?  Super Bowl winner?  Pittsburg.  President?  Carter.  Big news?  Ayatolloh Khomeini held embassy hostages.  A prophet of that time?  MLK had been killed in '68.  We can remember his line, "I have a Dream,' because it has been repeated so often. 

Secondly, Jesus' main message about God: hospitable, like those people in Seattle.  He talks hospitality, inclusion, not exclusion, acceptance, not rejection.  E.g., Prodigal Son, to name only one.

Thirdly, Mark's environment.  Bible students think whoever put this booklet together wrote for Gentile Christians living in the Roman Empire, probably in Rome or Antioch, Greece.  He (she unlikely) wrote just after the destruction of Jerusalem & the temple by the Romans after a failed Jewish revolt, 70 CE.  More persecution was expected throughout the Empire.  (Note that the Jews never again had possession of Jerusalem until 1948 when it was granted them by the Allies after WW II & the Holocaust)

Fourth, Mark's intention: encourage these Gentile Christians living in probably Rome to remain faithful despite coming troubles.  One method: keep families united.  Don't break up.  Marriages were arranged by families at this time.  Kids did not choose their parent, kids did not choose their spouses.  Marriage strengthened bonds for self defense and economic survival.  Divorce ruptured these bonds, not just between the couple.  Remarriage caused even more contention.  Thus, divorce & remarriage is strongly discouraged for even survival reasons.

Fifth: for ourselves.  Context vs basic message.

A.  Understand the context of our passage, Mark's background and intention.

B.  Consider this the ideal, the infinite demand.

C.  Remember the basic Christian message: God's infinite acceptance &  hospitality, like the people in Seattle.

What have you gotten for yourself from these observations?

Picture 1:  The Choir, Shonda, Celeste, & Ray

Picture 2:  Birthdays & Anniversaries, Frank, Richard & Sheila

Picture 3:  Denni reading Genesis

Picture 4:  Tom Reading Hebrews

                   Harper says, "Hi, Everybody, Welcome in."

Readings:

 1 Kings 19 4-8, Elijah prayed for death.  Plus Chapter 18, it is so good.

Psalm 34,    Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.

Ephesians 4, 30-5, 2,   All bitterness, fury, anger, shouting, and reviling must be removed from you.

John 6, 41-51, I am the bread of life. 

                       Hi, Genevieve, Welcome in to You.

Kings:  a review–

Subject: The kings of Israel.  The Big 3 kings were Saul, David, & his son Solomon.  The 2 Books of kings follows the 2 Books of Samuel, which describe the lives of the the kings up to the death of the Great King David, my favorite.  1 & 2 Kings takes up the life of Solomon, David's son, his building of the temple, his death, and the fate of the kingdom following his death, that is, it divides and is conquered. 

Time Period:  from ca. 900 – 555 before Christ, or from Solomon to Nebuchadnezzar & Cyrus.

                          Zoe says, "Wow, it is fun to be here."

Authors: a compilation of many sources that was put together at the end of the Babylonian Captivity, ca. 555 before Christ. 

Our Selection: focus is on one man, the prophet Elijah.  The kingdom has already been split.  Our story takes place in the northern state, Israel.  Time of severe drought.  The king is Ahab; his queen, the famous Jezebel.  The prophet Elijah has scolded them for turning to false gods to end the drought.  

Cole & Angela holding hands during the Our Father.  Cole says to his mom, "Mom, she needs me to hold her hand…She doesn't have anyone."  Wow, Cole, you are The Best.

There has been a contest in chapter 18: Elijah vs the 450 prophets of Baal, ultimately to see which side would be more effective in bringing rain.  2 bulls were slaughtered.  Naturally, Elijah wins when Yahweh answers his prayer, sends down fire, and consumes the bull Elijah has slaughtered.  When he wins, he slaughters the 450 prophets of Baal.   

We enter at a point where Jezebel is furious with Elijah for killing her favorite prophets and aims to kill Elijah.  He is going to run away all depressed.   

We will read an expanded chapter 19, from 1-13.   

Cole's grandmother, Diane, one of the numerous                             positive influences in Cole's life.

Kind, Compassionate, and Forgiving

I would like to talk about what Ephesians brings up, being kind, compassionate, and forgiving.  It happened to me.

Folks, I unexpectedly had another one of those special weeks.  Not on the Kilimanjaro level of my Ragbrai week, but still special.

I don’t know if you saw in the news that this past week the Jewish Community Center was hosting the Maccabi games.  There are two or three places where these games take place every summer for Jewish kids from, say, 12 to 16.  Kids come from all over the world.  Some games are even scheduled in Europe and Israel. 

Linda and Hue at 40 years today.  Give that marvelous couple a cupcake!

Dallas hosts the games every 5 or so years and it is big.  9 venues are involved where the events take place.  Kids came from Australia and Israel, to name only two that I saw, plus from cities all over the States.  26 programs were involved with over a thousand kids playing soccer, basketball, volleyball, and even ping pong, to name just some . 

How did I get mixed up in the show?  You know I do spin classes at the Jewish Community Center every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings at 6:00.  Two of the women in the class whom I like a lot are part of the organizing team.  They were looking for volunteers among even non-Jewish people, not to host the kids, but to volunteer.  So I volunteered. 

Would you trust this man to give Carrie her birthday                       cupcake?   Mr. Paul  has been known… 

The first thing I noticed when I came on board was that, despite the fact that there was a tsunami of kids at the J, which was ground zero, that same spirit of trust was there that I noticed in Iowa.  Backpacks were lying around all over, inside a lot, but outside everywhere.  I was again moved by this trust atmosphere.

Secondly, I noticed the security.  My car had to be tagged, I had to be tagged, photo ID at all times.  Guess why.  Remember the Munich games?  These kids are potentially a target.  About that, I am sad.  These kids were beautiful and charming.  And there are people who would be happy to kill them.  I am reminded of the Holocaust and I always have a hard time getting my mind around that. 

A Cupcake for you on your Birthday, Marlene.

My role in the event?  I was involved Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday, mostly in being a score keeper and line judge in girls’ volley ball and in being a timer in swimming.  I was at the Sportsplex on Alpha Road behind the old Valley View center.  This was where I met kindness, compassion, and forgiveness.

I met it because I messed up the score at least 5 games out of the 10 or so I scored and even flubbed being a line judge.  At least three times the volleyball games had to be stopped so the score could be made right.  For me it was not so simple because the scoring is different today.   Plus I would get emotional and cheer a spike or some wicked serve and forget to flip the score. 

The Team.  No white alb this morning.  The alb got left at the wedding venue the night before.

And you think being a line judge is simple.  No way.  It goes against all my Jesuit training and psychological formation.  My training was don’t judge the book by the cover, no black or white, no right or wrong.  So I had to think about what I saw.  On the one had, this shot could be in.  On the other, maybe it was out.

One time I even judged a ball out, which favored the team I was closer to.  The main line judge, however, over ruled me and then the girls on the team said to him, “But he said it was out!” 

Despite all my dufus mistakes, all these people were kind, compassionate, and forgiving. 

The Offertory Team  John & Connie, Marsha & Joe.

Moreover, I even fell in love with the Dallas girls’ volleyball team.  I had watched them so much.  Trouble was, they lost the final.  I could not stay to watch after they had lost the first 2 out of 5 to L.A.. 

The week was special for me.  What was special this week for you?

 Says Genevieve, "Wake me up, please when that old                         geezer stops talking."

Readings:

Sirach 3, 2-6, 12-14, My son, take care of your father when he is old.

Psalm 128,  Blessed are those who fear the Lord and walk in his ways.

Colossians 3, 12-21,  Wives, be subordinate to your husbands.

Matthew 2, 13-15, 19-23, Take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt and stay there until I tell you.

Leo, the Candle Lighter, at work with his dad, Ray.

Sirach observations:

What.  One of those 12 odd books, neither in the Old nor the New Testament.  A book with wise little sayings & vingettes.

Examples: Be humble in everything you do, 3, 17.   Stubborness will get you into trouble, 3, 26.  If you are polite and courteous, you will enjoy the friendship of many, 6, 5.  A father who loves his son will whip him often, 30, 1.  A woman has to take any man as a husband, but a man must choose his wife carefully, 36, 21.

Who.   Sirach is the father of a man names Joshua (or Jesus) who wrote & compiled these saying.

When.   Composed around 200 years before Christ, maybe.

Colossians observations:

Get ready, this is a good one.  Especially for wives.  

Where else but with this hospitable community can The Candle Man kneel on the altar to light the candles.

Paradigmes for Families

I remember way back when Rosemary and I had been married a while, I told her one day that I thought this special line from the Bible was my new favorite line.  “Wives, be subordinate to your husbands.”  Sounded good to me. 

You know what I got, the look, the dog kennel look, the look that said, ‘There is a vacancy in the dog kennel in the back yard, bubba.’  So much for my new favorite line. 

We have one of the classic lines in Scripture here this morning.  “Wives,be subordinate to your husbands.”  I would like to talk about this.

We begin.

I also remember one afternoon I was in line to ride the roller coaster or something at 6 Flags.  Ahead of me was a family, husband and wife with maybe two or three kids.  The couple were discussing two sides of some decision.  Then I heard the husband tell the wife that she should follow his opinion, because….   You know what he said.  I almost passed out.  I did not realize that contemporary, educated, middle class folks followed this just because it says it in the Bible.

Let me offer some perspective, a little history and the 3 models of family dynamics.

Historically, remember that the writer of the line lived not in the Middle Ages, but way before that.  Women were not considered equal to men in any way.  I saw this in East Africa when I lived there.  The man was the head and the wife, kids, and farm animals were all more or less on the same level.

Cupcake of The Week to Hugh on his birthday.

You may see the same phenomenon today.  Where?  Try Afghanistan or among many Arab or Muslim countries.  Women have no rights and are certainly not considered equal to men.  Because of this, women can be beaten like a child or abused with hardly any consequence.  The old dictum held, ‘A good beating never hurt anyone.’

The writer of this letter saw this and spoke to it.  Not only does he speak to the wife, he also speaks to the husband, “Husbands, love your wives.”  Pretty unique stuff for those days.  Wives, in other words, are human beings, not property to be told how to dress and behave.

Cupcake of the Week to Georgie for being such a big help.

Finally, let me remind you of the 3 models of family dynamics.

First, you have the patriarchy.  The father is the head, which today’s writer is aware of.  And accepts.

Secondly, you have the matriarchy, the wife is the head of the family.  This model has been used over the centuries in various places.

Thirdly, you have equality.  This model has more traction today because women and men are equally educated and often equally talented.  In this family the husband and wife share responsibility and consult with each other.

It is not so much that one model is better than the other.  Which model works?

The Cupcake Kids, Zoe & Leo.

There are days when I am convinced that Rosemary and I have a matriarchy.

What works for you?