Sunday Homily, November 24, 2013, Christ the King

Genesis 15, 1-6; 21, 1-3 ,  Look up at the sky and count the stars, if you can.   This is the official selection.  But for us, I've included 16, 1-10; 17, 9-12; 18, 1-3 & 9-15.  This stuff is too rich to pass up.

Psalm 105,    The Lord remembers his covenant forever.

Hebrews 11, 8, 11-12, 17-19,  By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called.

Luke 2, 22-40,   The purification of Jesus.

 

 

Genesis obserevations :

What : the very first book of the bible beginning with Adam & Eve, the two creation myths, Cane & Abel, Noah and the flood, the Tower of Babylon, and then the big 3 patriarchs of the Jewish nation.  They are Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  The book is a fun read.  It is not history, but speculation and tribal myth. 

Date: contemporary scholarship thinks that the work was composed either before or during the B.C., the all important Babylonian Captivity. Why?  Give the Jewish people a sense of historical identity and tribal cohesion. 

 

 

 

Today’s selection: all about Abraham, the first of the 3 Great Patriarchs.  Abraham is crying and lamenting the fact that he has no children.  Why?  Sarah was childless and Abraham was 99 years old.  A “we have a problem, Houston” situation.  The Lord hears Abraham and uses a beautiful metaphor to show Abraham what is going to happen. 

Because the editor of this reading has so taken the fun out of it, I want to read a bit more.  Sit back and enjoy the story of how Abraham and Sarah had a baby.   I'm including parts of three other chapters between chapters 15 and 21.

 

 

Another Christmas Story

On Christmas Eve I told you a Christmas story and said that it was a Christmas event.  And what is a Christmas event?  It is an event where a person receives peace, joy, and light.  It usually happens between people.  But I can have the same event in a place, for instance, the Meyerson, or riding across Iowa on my bike, or backpacking in Yosemite.  It happens often to me here with you people.

 

 

 

In fact, somebody asked me why don’t you just take this Sunday off?  We were here just a few days ago.  I know why.  I am having too much fun here.  This is not an obligation, it is a treasure.

Anyway, our story goes like this.  It comes from Steve Blow, the columnist of the Dallas Morning News, December 25.  You may remember Steve has written Rosemary and me up a couple of times. 

 

 

He says there was a lady named Renee of Lake Highlands on her way to work the morning before Thanksgiving.  She pulled into the neighborhood Whataburger drive through to get a pick up.

When she got her diet Coke, the girl in the window, who was very cheerful, said like, “This ought to pick you up.”  There was no one in line behind Renee, so she chatted, saying, “Well, at least, I’m off Thanksgiving and we can have a nice Thanksgiving meal.   How about you?”

 

 

The cheerful girl said, “No, she had to work and the Thanksgiving meal would have to wait until she could earn the money to buy the food.”  She had two jobs to make enough for herself and her two children.

By now a new customer had pulled up behind Renee.  She had to move.  Before departing, she blurted out, “I’m going to get you Thanksgiving.”

Jazmen Woods, the Whataburger girl, said customers tell her stuff all the time.  She pays no attention.

 

 

But that afternoon, Renee called the Whataburger and later took a whole Boston Market Thanksgiving meal to Jazmen’s apartment in the Vickery Meadow area of northeast Dallas. 

That was only the beginning.  Renee discovered that Jazmen had hardly any furniture for herself and her two young children.  So she went on line to her neighbors, telling the story saying, “If you would like to contribute to making Christmas special for this sweet family, please feel free to join me.”

 

 

You know the rest of the story. 

Another Christmas event that gives peace, joy, and light. 

Like I asked Christmas Eve, When were you touched in this special way? 

And to whom do you share peace, joy , and light?  (Besides to me.)

Source, Steve Blow, Dallas Morning News, December 25, 2004

 

 

Readings:  Genesis 9, 8-15, I set my bow in the clouds; Psalm 25, Your ways, O Lord, are love and truth to those who keep your covenant; 1 Peter 3, 18-22, That he might lead you to God; Mark 1, 12-15, He remained in the desert for 40 days. 

 Genesis:  First book of the Bible, starts with creation & ends with the Patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, & Jacob (Israel).

 

   Author: Not Moses as was thought for centuries before people began to study the work.  At least 3 sources: 

• a Y (or J) source for the group that addressed God as Yahweh;
• an E for the group who addressed God as Elohim (Like two historians calling NYC The Big Apple or New York City, or Denver by its name or Mile High City);
• and a P group that focused on the priestly class, activities, & customs.

 Time: compiled and put together from 950 to 500 BCE.

Today's Selection: the flood has just receded and Noah is receiving a promise (called covenant) from Yahweh that never again will people be wiped out by a flood.  Guess what the sign of the promise is.

 

 

40 Days

Picture this.  It is night.  Moon & stars.  Sitting around a little campfire are 3 or 4 families, parents and a half dozen kids.  It is maybe 1000 years before Christ.  It  is perfectly quiet except for the howl of a few animals out in the complete darkness.

A little girl says to her parents, "Where did that moon come from?  The stars?  Where did we come from?"  The parents tell her about the stories they heard from their elders.

They say: Before people were here the earth was all desolate.  It was dark & cold & waters were raging.  God came along one day and decided to put some order into this mess.  So he got up the next morning and divided up the daylight and the dark.



 

The next day he got up and created the dome of the sky.  The third day he created the earth and starts plants growing.  The day after that he sets up the sun, the moon, and the stars.  On the fifth day he puts together fish and birds and tell them to multiply.  The sixth day he really has to work hard: animals and especially man & woman.  By now he is tired, so he takes the seventh day off and enjoys his work.  This is the first account of creation in Genesis.

Now at another campfire many miles away a little boy is asking his family the same question.  He is told another story.  One day, say, Elohim is walking on a dirt path (like everyone did.  No pavement).  He leans down grabs a handful, wets it, and molds it into a new form, something with two legs, two arms, and a head.  A man. 

This man is given life and gets put into a marvelous garden with only one command.  Don't eat from that tree.  Time goes on and animals are created which the man names.  However, the man is lonely, so God takes a rib out of his side and molds it into another human  form.  This one, however, is female and becomes man's partner.  The man names her Eve, the mother of all.  This is the second creation story.



 

At this point in time all is copasetic.  One day, however, while Eve is strolling around the Garden of Eden, a snake begins to talk with her.  Eventually the snake convinces her to try the fruit of the tree.  Uh, oh.  Then she shares it with the Man, now called Adam.  Later, God comes strolling along in the evening and has to call out for Adam & Eve, who are hiding.  He knows what they have done.  They confess and he tells them they will be forever punished with difficult living.  So they get kicked out of Eden.

Adam & Eve have kids.  Cain first, Abel second.  One day both boys make an offering to God.  Unfortunately for some reason, Cain's offering is rejected by God.  He is hurt and gets mad because his brother is accepted.  He kills Abel.  Then he, too, gets punished by God. 

Time passes and apparently many more of Adam & Eve's kids turn out like Cain.  In fact, God becomes so mad, so disappointed in his new creature man, that he regrets what he has done and decides to wipe everyone off the face of the earth–except one guy, Noah.  At this time, Noah is 500 years old.  He builds a boat and it rains 40 days.  Which takes us up to today's reading, where the water has receded and God promises he will never kill everyone with a flood again, signing his name with a rainbow. 



 

I tell these mythological stories for the following reasons.

First, we seldom hear or read these marvels.

Secondly, though it is not in the Genesis reading we have, there is a foundation setting up the thread between this part of Genesis 9 and Mark and today: the 40 days.  Forty is a special number in the old times meaning a sufficient number.  It rained 40 days.  Jesus is in the desert 40 days.  And we are spending 40 days of Lent.

Thirdly, when Jesus came out of the desert he really throws himself into his message, which contains 4 points in Mark:

• The Time is now.
• The Kingdom is here.
• Repent.
• Believe the Good News

 

 

Fourthly, for centuries up until Vatican 2, the 40 days of Lent focused on fasting and abstinence to imitate Jesus and to do penance for our bad ways.  It was supposed to be a cleansing before Holy Week and Easter and a test of character. 

Fasting usually meant giving up meals.  Abstinence meant giving up a particular item, like Blue Bell or chocolate chip cookies.  I found one amusing note:Thomas Aquinas, one of the great doctors of the Catholic Church who lived ca. 1250, suggested that the faithful abstain from meat, eggs, and dairy.  Why?  Because they were aphrodisiacs and generated lust.  Food, alcohol, tobacco, and sex were all targets of the Church.

Today Mormons fast 1 day per month.  Muslims fast dawn to dusk the month of Ramadan which around mid- August to mid-September.  This fast often includes liquids. 

I suggest that for a positive Lent we might practice sensitivity and service.  This week we might fast.  What about a fast from guilt and stress?  What about fasting from my addiction?  For a week?  Food, alcohol, smoking, work?

How are you going to have a peaceful & happy Lent?



 

Sources:

Dominican Website; Creighton U. Spiritual Seminar; St. Raymond Church, Dublin, CA.;  Wikipedia on Lent & Fasting;

 

 

 

Readings:

Revelation 7, 2-4, 9-14, These are the ones who have survived the time of great distress

Psalm 24, Lord this is the people that long to see your face. 

1 John 3, 1-3,  See what love the Father has bestowed on us.—–

Matthew 5,1-12, Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom.

 

 

 

Thanks to the Team,  Ben & Shonda's  

Readers,   Denni & Tom & Buddy, the candle blesser

Gospel,  Deacon Mike 

Homily,  Deacon Mike 

Eucharistic Prayer A & B, Stack & John Cade

The Magic Zoom makers,  Richard & Hue 

Final Blessing, Rosemary

For hosting us at Legacy, Becky

 

 

Download Readings Week 31 All Saints (2)

 

 

Homily by Mike Carrell,   All Saints            

The Mark gospel teaches us how potential saints come alive:  It begins with the unexpected: an accident; a death; a fire, a flood. It is then that a call comes to us; the kingdom of God is at hand; repent. Live the Good News! 

Buddy, this morning, revealed to us from the Matthew Gospel how the beatitudes call us each to be the light in the world, to be saints.

The feast of All Saints teaches us that holiness comes in all sizes and shapes. Saints are rich and poor, young and old, warriors and peacemakers, scholars and those who don’t even know how to read. Every era has its saints as does ours. We read about the struggles our nurses and doctors face day after day to keep patients alive during this pandemic.

 

 

Mary Ellen, Honfleur, France, 2011, one of our Saints.

 

We give thanks to our parents, grandparents, and god parents who gave us names of known saints when we were baptized; they were intended to challenge us to be ready to respond to a call to holiness.

Most of the names of these heroes that we read about in the News have already faded away; however some of our teenagers have chosen not to forget about these holy ones by taking their names when they were and are confirmed.

Praise be to God.

 

Please Remember these special people:

For Alan Stryker;  For John Doherty recuperating from an operation this past week for his back pain;   For David Dinsmore's bad shoulder from a biking accident;  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;   For Mary & Dave Hall's g-daughter Allison Keller working at St. Lukes, The Woodlands,   For Loretta's aunt Alicia;  For Sir Charlie & Jan;  Shonda's mom & Cody & Ben & Leo & all of Shonda's dear family;  

 

 

Mike, how come you did not invite us to this beautiful lake?  Daisy State Park, Arkansas.

For Jackie's mom, sister, & friend, Lynn;  For both Jean & Cliff Wright;  For Rick Turner searching for a kidney donor, Type O neg; For Meredith, cancer free;    For John O'Donnell;   For Dee, and for her daughter, Lisa; For John Schanot's continued health;  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,  For the students, teachers, and coaches in our public & private schools.

 

 

 

Birthdays:  John DeGenova, Ed Kless, Karen Anderlick, Ryan McCabe, 19

  

 

Community Finances, November 1, 2020

Expenses: $750.00

Outreach   $200.00    (often for Souls Harbor, Legacy, etc.)

Thanks, Folks, for doing what you can.

 

Home, Sweet Home for Mike & Gerry.

 

Rosemary's Blessing:

 

Gracious God inspire us with the hope in the gift of shalom, the gift of wholeness and the promise of your presence.

Give wisdom to seek nonviolence as an answer to the violence of our lives and world.

Give us courage to seek wholeness in a fractured and divided world, to find reconciliation rather than revenge, to abandon the instruments of violence and death and entrust our lives, our homes and our families to you.

May your presence fill us and others with the thirst for unity, wholeness, and the desire to see all people valued as created in your image.

May we and others receive your shalom, that we might be faithful instruments of your love.

Blessed be your name forever,

Amen.

Rabbi Andrew M. Paley, senior rabbi with Temple Shalom, Dallas.  He emailed this letter to his congregation and gave The Dallas Morning News permission to publish it.

 

Readings: Jeremiah 20,10-13; Psalm 69; Romans 5, 12-15; Matthew 10, 26-33

Jeremiah: one of the 3 great prophets along with Isaiah & Ezekiel.  He lives just before the defeat & destruction of Jerusalem 650 years before Christ.  He foretells the catastrophe, warning the Hebrews that their sinful ways will lead to destruction.  He lives to see the event, but also prophesies that the exile will be temporary and that one day the people will return to Jerusalem.

Jeremiah was unpopular with the people because of his warnings.  Today's reading shows him bitter and complaining about the people. 

 

As Good as Sparrows, as Good as Aviana?

In February, when we put our little dog Naomi to sleep after 15 years, Rosemary & I debated whether we would ever want to get another dog.  Putting her to sleep was one of the hardest things I have ever done in my life. 

Around Memorial Day, however, Rosemary began to look on line just a bit.  Shih-tzus were our favorite, but we entertained other types of small dogs.   In fact, our vet had recommended a woman in East Texas who occasionally raised a litter of maltipoos, a mixture of maltese & poodle. 

Last Wednesday we took a trip to East Texas.  We had two ladies to visit, the one recommended by the vet and another who raised shih-tzus.  On the way we debated: yes or no.  We decided to just look.  

Well, so much for looking.  In fact, the hardest thing was coming home without one of each. 

Behold Aviana, a maltese-poodle mix whose name comes from the air base north east of  Venice, where we visited Michael & Lydia on our spring trip.  The base is Aviano; we made it feminine.

Do I have any doubts or reservations now that she is part of our family?  No, not one.  In fact, I am reminded every day why she is a special gift.  A couple of observations.

Do you realize that she is not afraid?  I think she is like all of us when we are born.  When do we begin to be afraid?  I know how Aviana could become afraid.  If I treated her mean & rough, and abused her.  Matthew recommends that we be afraid not of the person who kills the body, but of the person who kills the soul.  I would suggest the word spirit instead of soul.  Abuse kills the spirit.  At the least it wounds the spirit.

Yesterday I was working on line and Aviana was lying under my feet sound asleep.  Not on her tummy or on her side.  She was lying on her back with her legs and ears splayed out.  Talk about trust.  Lack of fear.

Matthew says that we need not fear because we are worth more than many sparrows.  Am I worth as much as one Aviana? 

Second observation is that I see the acceptance of God in the behavior of Aviana.  I saw it in Naomi.  I walk in the house and receive not just unconditional acceptance.  I encounter excited & joyous celebration.  I am amazed and touched.  We hear a lot about how we will be judged a sheep or a goat at the great roundup.  If I am lax, God will come like a thief in the night and hurl me into hell for being caught off guard. 

My preference is to see the acceptance of Aviana as reflective of the acceptance of God.  She is another of those little creatures we talked about last week.  She is another metaphor or parable about God's acceptance of us as we are. 

Aviana is not afraid of us.  She amazingly trusts us.  Moreover, she accepts and celebrates us just as we are.  

How does she symbolize or not symbolize your relationship with God? 

AUDIO:  http://mysite.verizon.net/reso7rjy/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/2008-06-22.mp3

 

 

Readings:  Job 38, 1-11; Psalm 107, Give Thanks to the Lord, his Love is Everlasting; 2 Corinthians 5, 14-17; Mark 4, 35-41 

 

Job:  

Today: You see the story in the papers about Jake Fleming?  20 year old UCLA student & tennis player, in town to visit best friend at SMU, part of group going to a concert at Fair Park, after the concert another group of white kids argue & one kid sucker punches Jake, he falls & hits his head on the street, is in an induced coma now because of bleeding inside his skull.  This kid bad?  He was planning on teaching little kids tennis during the summer.  Why do bad things happen?  Why suffering?  This is why the story of Job got put together.

The Story: Job is a good man, pious, married, affluent, 7 boys, 3 girls, obeys the Lord & his laws.  Satan makes a bet with Yahweh: you take away Job's goodies, he will curse you.  "Deal," says Yahweh.

Shortly after that, one day servants come to tell Job: 1. rustlers have taken his cattle & killed his servants; 2. lightning has killed his sheep & shepherds; 3. more rustlers took his camels & killed their caretakers; 4.  a storm has killed his 10 kids.  Job does not curse.  In fact, he makes the famous statement: "Naked I entered the world, naked I leave.  Blessed be the name of the Lord."

Satan then proposes another bet with Yahweh: let me afflict him bodily, he will curse you.  "Deal," says Yahweh.  Job is struck with leprosy and is expelled to the trash heap outside the town.    Job does not curse Yahweh, but he does say, "God, put a curse on the day I was born."

Then Job's wife and three friends all attack him, basically telling him to just die, because he is obviously a bad man.  Job says, "No, I've done nothing wrong."  Eventually he is rewarded by Yahweh, lives 140 more years and has 7 more sons and 3 daughters, plus more wealth.  

How many questions do you have?  How does a person's badness or goodness effect the bad things in his life?  Bad things don't happen to good folks?  That is the main proposition of Job, they do.  How about Yahweh making bets with Satan?  What about a Satan?

Author: not Moses.  A compilation of sources. 

Structure: a central poetic section with  a prose entry and a prose exit.  Perhaps the happy ending was also added.  Again, a parable, a fable, a myth, not history.

Date:  the present form was probably put together after the famous Babylonian Exile, i.e., ca. 550 BCE.

Our Selection: after Job complains, Yahweh responds rather critically, saying, "Who do you think you are," and, "Do you forget who I am?"   

Sources: Fr. William Most on line, Good News Bible, Wikipedia          

All Pro Dad

Being dads' day I have one story about my dad and 3 ideas about how to be an all pro dad. 

I do not know how we all survive adolescence, folks.  When I was a bratty teen-ager, my dad knew that anything he would say I would discount.  One of my best friends was pretty much the same way, my friend Pete, who was at the wedding, the FBI guy.

So my dad and Pete's dad made an arrangement where the four of us went out to eat at a restaurant once in a while.  I would talk with his dad while Pete would talk with my dad.

I admired his dad because he had worked in the FBI and was an exec at the local Chance Vought Air Plane company.  I still remember him telling me, "You can't fight city hall, John."  I guess I was, at school and in the neighborhood. 

    Suggestion 1: take the kid out for the special meal, just the two of you or with his/her pal & dad.  How often?  Maybe seasonally.  Then ask normal questions, how you doing, how is school, how is life at home?  What do you like best, your best friend?  Listen & converse.

    Suggestion 2: family meal, ideally 6-7 days a week, at least 3-4.  Again, ask normal questions, listen & converse.

    Suggestion 3: be a fun person by creating fun things to do, go camping, go to the beach, go canoing (down the Trinity), do a late night Baskin Robbins trip, bike (around White Rock or the Dallas & Plano trails), cook (like my dad used to make a cake every Saturday afternoon & he saved the bowls for me to lick clean).

 

So, how are you going to be an all pro dad?  All Pro Person?

Source (which I edited considerably): All Pro Dad (a helpful weekly service for dads), http://www.allprodad.com/playbook/viewarticle.php?art=5

AUDIO: http://mysite.verizon.net/reso7rjy/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/2009-06-21.mp3

Picture 1: Dads Tony & Jerry, plus other suspects

Picture 2: Dads Mike, Tom, & Ray

Picture 3: Dads Charlie, Ray, & Tom

Picture 4: Julie & Doug at 23 years

 

Readings:  

 1 Kings, 19, 4-8, Get up and eat, else the journey will be too long for you.

 Psalm 34, Taste and see the Goodness of rhe Lord

Ephesians 4, 30-5, 2, Be imitators of God and live in love.

John 6, 24-35, I am the bread of life. 

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 – 550 BCE, or from Solomon to Nebuchadnezzar & Cyrus.

Authors: a compilation of many sources that was put together at the end of the Babylonian Captivity, ca. 550 BCE. 

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.  

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.   In fact, I want to tell  you the story in Chapter 18, such a special story.    

 

Taste & See the Goodness

This story takes place in Marshalltown, Iowa.  It is the fifth of eight layover towns on our west to east bike ride across Iowa, a trip called Ragbrai (Register’s Annual Great Bike Ride across Iowa), 10 thousand people this year, its 40^th.

We had just had a lasagna dinner at a Christian Church in the town center.  We are getting our campsite & gear ready because a storm was predicted.  The temperature had been above 100 and rain & cooler temperatures were approaching.  In fact, we could see big clouds building in the west and heading toward us. 

At 8:30 a shower hit.  8:45 it tapered off.  I took a bag of water bottles to a nearby pavilion to fill them.  I fill them and prepare to return when it went chaotic.  The rain came down in sheets, the wind blew every which way, and suddenly two gigantic gusts blew everything over, tents, bikes, gear.  People poured into the pavilion.

I could not see Rosemary & Aviana, but I know Rosemary well enough.  She can cope & would be okay. 

After 30 minutes of this torrential rain, it began to lessen.  Then the police arrive & tell us we are being evacuated to a school because of tornadoes & hail coming our way.  Not good.

I run & get Rosemary & Aviana.  Our tent has collapsed, so we roll it up wet and put it in the back of the van.  We end up in a Lutheran Church because the school could not fit everyone.   It is dark by now, still raining lightly, but cooler. 

I can still remember entering that Lutheran Church.  First of all, it was air conditioned.  Wow, so nice.  Secondly, the pastor was at the entrance welcoming everyone, saying we could use every room & corner.  We did.  It was wall to wall people.  We all spent the night on the floors, which were carpeted. 

Lying on that floor in the middle of a crowd in the middle of the night, I considered chucking the remainder of our trip.  So much of what we had was soaked.

The next morning about 5:30, however, it was spectacularly beautiful, cool and sunny with light, left over clouds.  People were in great humor.  One guy said to me with a laugh in the parking lot of the church, “It’s just Ragbrai, let’s ride!”  And I did.  And Rosemary did.  And so did Aviana, who had been the queen of those sleeping in the church. 

There were a gazillion lessons that struck me & Rosemary from that adventure.  Let me single out 3. 

First, we were homeless and taken in, sheltered, and shown warm hospitality, by a Lutheran Church.  Yahweh showed hospitality & care for Elijah.  We attempt to show hospitality as a community.  Look at Habitat.  Look at the Katrina refugees.

Secondly, like Ephesians says excellently today, there was no bitterness, anger, fury, or shouting.  In fact, generosity & love emanated from the Lutheran community and we returned it in a small way.

A basket had been put in the back of the church part of the complex and it was filling with $20’s.  Rosemary sent a thank you note to the pastor.

Thirdly, taste & see the goodness of the Lord.  I love this line and what it calls me to.   I could savor the goodness some at the time.  But I had a list later with Rosemary. 

The ability just to ride my bike.  And we got the car fixed easily (dashboard light came on).

The cooler temperatures and the needed rain, which produced a glorious day.

The evacuation so peacefully accepted by so many, and especially the Lutheran Church, which was so gracious.

Folks, we take bunches of trips in our lives.  We taste & see the goodness of the Lord every day.  Occasionally we have an adventure like Marshalltown.   At the time of the adventure and even more so later, we really taste & see the Goodness.

What happened the last time you really tasted and really saw the Goodness?