Grace reading from the Great Prophet, Isaiah.

 

Readings:

Isaiah 9, 1-6,    The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light, upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom a light has shown.  (Wow!  Beautiful)

Psalm, 96,  Today is born our savior, Christ the Lord.

Reading 2: The Road Less Taken

Luke 2, 1-14,   The Nativity story.   (Lovely)

 

 

 

John reading The Road not Taken, one of The Greats.

 

Frost, Robert: The Road Not Taken  ( Reading #2)

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood

        And sorry I could not travel both   

And be one traveler.       Long I stood

         and looked down one as far as I could,

         to where it bent in the undergrowth,

Then took the other, as just as fair,       

         And having perhaps the better claim,

         Because it was grassy and wanted wear.

         Though as for that the passing there

         Had worn them really about the same.

And both that morning equally lay

         In leaves no step had trodden black.

         Oh, I kept the first for another day!

         But knowing how way leads onto way,

         I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh

         Somewhere ages and ages hence:

         Two roads diverged in a wood, and I–

         I took the one less traveled by,

         And that has made all the difference.

 

 

 

Claire reading the Nativity Narrative from Luke.

 

Homily, 12/24/18

Since November when this crazy lumbar stenosis smacked  me, I have had more doctor appointments than ever in my life, including  getting my two nice titanium hips.

On one occasion I was going to Presby’s office building 4, on the south east corner of Walnut Hill & Greenville.  This was my second visit to this building.  Parking is all on the ground level, with the 5 or 6 story building over the parking. 

 

 

The Nativity story with Leo as Joseph and Zoe as Mary.

 

This morning Rosemary drove me over, dropped me fairly near the big glass doors, two sets of them.  It is freezing, darkish, and windy like being in a wind tunnel.

As I approach the first set of doors, though still 30 yards away, this tall,  strong looking black lady in a security uniform comes running from the inside, opens one of the doors wide and says cheerily, Good Morning and Welcome In.

 

 

Who dat??  That is the Baby Jesus, otherwise known as Betsy!

 

I laugh despite being in a world of pain from the pinched nerve.  I thank her.  And as I pass in front of her at the door, I tell her, “I am finding it hard to have people opening doors for me.  I ain’t used to this.”

So I go upstairs, check with my doctor, and return to the lobby in maybe an hour.  I sit on a marble ledge, call Rosemary, and wait.

 

 

 

Sez Luke, "Hey, I'm an Angel!

 

Suddenly coming in through the doors from the outside, my black security lady appears.  I wave at her and she walks toward me.  She says, “You remember what you said to me that it is hard to let others hold the door for you.  Well, I look at you and I know you.  I know that you have opened a lot of doors for other people to walk through.   For me it is an honor to be able to pay it back just a little and hold the door for you.”

 

 

Does it get better than this ??!!

 

I was stunned, I was touched, I was in tears.

Are people not good!

Have a wonderful Christmas.

 

 

The Best Team!

 

Welcome to the scene of our 4th Advent and Christmas Eve celebrations, to the most colorful school dining room I have ever seen, and to a marvelous venue for special inspiration.  Legacy Charter School.

 

Readings: 

Micah 5, 1-4, From you shall come one who is to be ruler in Israel

Psalm 80,  Lord, make us turn to you, let us see your face and we shall be saved.   

Hebrews 10, 5-10, Sacrifices and offering you did not  desire  

Luke 1,  39-45,  Mary visits Elizabeth.

 

 

Buddy, you are becoming such a gifted reader.  Thanks to you and thanks to you, Georgie, for shepherding Buddy.

 

 

Homily

The summer of 2015 I was a volunteer referee, of course, unbiased, principled, and open to all gifts.  Chocolate was my favorite.  I was a referee for the Maccabe summer games at the Jewish Community Center, a place that has become something of a second or third home for me.

 

 

Thanks for lighting our 4 Advent candles today, Zoe.  Your hair is gorgeous.

 

The Maccabe Games take place every summer in Jewish Community Centers all over the country and perhaps Canada.  Thousands of kids came to Dallas, and the spirit in the air was terrific.  They were sheltered all over Dallas in JCC family homes.  We had a dozen or so on our block of Tulip Lane.  All together it must be like that at the Olympics.

During the time there were numerous general meetings.  At one of the meetings of no less than 2500 a special event took place.

 

 

Welcome Home from Beirut, Celeste.  It is so good to see you back.  I am jealous of those kids in Beirut who have you as their music teacher.

 

There was a young girl of about 15, Hallie Bernard, who addressed the whole assembly one day.  Hallie had a rare disease.   To recover she needed a bone marrow transplant.  She made an appeal to the parents and kids to get registered and maybe she would find a donor who would save her life.

Hallie immediately had 2500 volunteers.  As word got out to others at the event and beyond, over 6,000 volunteers registered.

 

 

Congratulations, Rick, on losing 30 pounds.  I am proud to know you.

 

As a result, 53 matches were found all over the place, even beyond Dallas & Texas. 

Hallie found a match.  

Guess why the people at the Jewish Community Center and beyond so touch my heart.  

Are people just not good!

 

 

Welcome home from college, Kevin, so good to see you.

 

Our Advent Reconciliation with Mary Jane & Becky (the head of Legacy Charter).

 

 

Welcome in, Everybody, as we celebrate the Second Sunday of Advent.

 

Readings:  

Baruch 5, 1-9, Jerusalem, put on the splendor of glory from God forever. 

Psalm 126,  The  Lord has done great things for us, we are filled with joy.

Philippians 1, 4-6, 8-11,  I pray always with joy for all of you.

Luke 3,  1-6,  The word of God came to John.

 

 

Excellent reading, Dear Buddy, thanks.

 

Reflection on Luke

Author: The gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles make up a two-volume work which scholars call Luke-Acts.  According to an early Church tradition, the author was the Luke named as a companion of Paul in three of Paul’s letters, but Scripture scholars say there is a problem with this.

 

 

And thanks to you, Dearest Tori, for lighting our candles for the 2nd week of Advent while your brother reads The Blessing of the Candles.

 

Though the author of Luke-Acts admired Paul, his theology was significantly different from Paul’s; there are countless contradictions between Acts and Paul’s letters. Bottom line: we don’t know who author of Luke-Acts is.

 

 

3 Members of our Girls' Board, Emma, Zoe, and Tori.

 

When written: The most probable date is around 80-100 AD, and there is evidence that it was still being revised well into the 2nd century.  The author takes as sources the Gospel of Mark, written around 70 AD, the sayings collection called the Q source, and a collection of material called the L source (L for Luke).

 

 

Mike sharing his graces from the Love for Kids' Picnic.

 

Audience: Luke was written to be read aloud to a group of Jesus’ followers gathered in a house to share the Lord's supper. The author assumes an educated Greek-speaking audience, but attends mainly to specifically Christian concerns rather than to the Greco-Roman world at large.

 

 

What is this sitting down on the job?  It is called lumbar stenosis, which was improved by one stretch suggested by the physical therapist last Thursday.  And that was only the first appointment.  Lots of hope for future appointments twice a week for a while.

 

Today's Homily

I was disappointed that I could not volunteer at Love Kids picnic Saturday.  I always am struck by the presence of grace in all these kids and volunteers.  Since I could not share the graces with our community, I asked Bill Hammond to keep his eyes open and to share what graces he experienced. 

 

 

The second elevation.

 

Bill, in turn, invited Mike and David to share their experiences of the presence of grace.

So we really had a triple header homily, and it was most touching.  

Next Sunday Mike will have the homily, a really good one.  Welcome.

 

 

For sale: Donna Dinsmore's hand made jewelry.

• Intro to Readings:

   

  Psalm 103 – In Psalm 103 we hear the psalmist’s description

  of God. This same verse is also in psalm 86 and 145, and in Exodus

   

  Ch 34 and Jonah Ch 4. It’s no wonder that, hearing these words,

  thanksgiving became one of the hallmarks of Christian communities.

   

  First Corinthians: Ch 1 Paul opens his letter to the

  Christian community in Corinth by giving thanks for the

  abundance of spiritual blessings they have received.

   

  Luke, in his Gospel, Ch 17, highlights how thanksgiving is

  the way to acknowledge blessings in our daily lives.

   

   

   

  Homily:

   

  Marv Knox is field coordinator for Fellowship Southwest, a

  ministry that provides services for people in the Rio Grande

  Valley, including refugees at the border, kids in public schools,

  disaster relief, and helping people avoid the unjust system of

  payday loans. His article in the Morning News on Friday inspired

  me. He wrote of the similarity between giving thanks and counting

  blessings. He proposes counting our blessings, as we do here

  every Sunday. People pretty much agree we’ve been living

  through hard times.

   

   It’s clear we are a nation divided. Some are still waiting to

  know the outcome of political races; when people are

  divided almost 50-50, counting and re-counting votes takes

  a lot of time.

   We’re still hearing of the forest-fire body counts, with

  hundreds still missing and unaccounted for.

   Refugees the world over, and at our own border, are hoping

  and asking for safety from danger.

   The chaos in Europe and confusion in our western alliance.
   Experiencing the results of global warming, with increased

  intensity and frequency of storms, floods and fires.

   The dropping and shaky stock market.

   The threat again of nuclear aggression from North Korea.

   These hard times, of course, are societal, shared by all;

  there are also the personal hard times we each live with,

  e.g., living with my sisters’ hurt and inability to speak with

  one another. You know your hard time—the anxiety, hurt,

  sadness or trauma you live with.

   

  Counting blessings moves our focus from the dark to the light.

  It helps us see what’s going right, even while we know much is

  going wrong.

   

  Counting blessings turns our attention away from ourselves to

  acknowledge the helpful actions of others.

   

  Counting blessings gives us hope. As we count blessings—

  and give thanks—we see that God is unchanging—ever faithful,

  loving, and abounding in kindness.

   

  Today, like every Sunday, we counted blessings in our lives.

  Imagine, rather than writing his letter to the Christian community

  in Corinth (Greece), Paul wrote to this Christian community,

  saying: I give thanks for your openness to God. There’s no end to

  what has happened in you; it’s beyond speech. The truth of Jesus

  has been clearly verified in your lives…. God will never give up on

  you. Never forget that.”

   

  So: How have you opened your eyes and minds to see and count

  blessings in your life?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Who is this Mystery Presenter?  A Pilgrim, a religious, a stranger?  Maybe all?  No!   Cathy in period dress, nothing less than the Best, tells the story of the Mayflower on which she had some ancestors, both a 'stranger' & a 'religious.'    Thanks, Cathy, for an excellent & fun presentation.

 

 

Readings:  

 1 Kings 17, 10-16,  The jar of flour shall not go empty

Psalm 146,  Praise the Lord, my soul.

 Hebrews 7, 23-28,  Once for all he has now appeared

 Mark 12, 38-44,  This poor widow put in more than all the others.

 

 

 

While Buddy reads The Blessing of The Candles, Harper lights the candles.  Good work, both of you, Harper & Buddy.  And thanks, Georgie, for helping Buddy to read.

 

 

Kings:

     Author & date of composition: the work is a compilation of numerous sources put together near the end of the Babylonian Captivity, ca. 555.

    Subject Matter: 1 Kings is part of a 4 book work that includes 1 & 2 Samuel and 1 & 2 Kings.  The 3 kings are Saul, David, and his son, Solomon.

 The work begins with Samuel, the last great judge, continues through the lives of the 3 kings, and finally shows how Solomon’s sons’ squabbles led to the division of the Jewish nation into two states, north & south, Israel & Judah.  Both states were defeated and the people of both were taken into captivity as slaves. 

The people of Israel never returned from Syria.  The people of Judah taken into the Babylonian Captivity maintained their tribal identify and came back to Jerusalem, which had been wrecked.   The Babylonian Captivity ended on a high note when Cyrus of Persia defeats Nebuchadnezzar in Babylon, and allows the Jews to return to Jerusalem.

    

 

 

 

John reading from 1 Kings.

 

 

The Theme: you be good, good things happen to you; you be bad, bad things happen to you.

    Our selection: 2 great prophets lived when the kingdom divided, Elijah & Elisha.  They criticized the bad ways of the sons of King Solomon.  In this selection, Elijah tells the king he is going to send a drought to the king's land.  Then Elijah goes away & meets a poor, starving widow with a son.  Watch what happens.  This is setting us up for the Widow's Mite story in the gospel.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Welcome in" says Georgie.

 

Readings:  

 Deuteronomy 6, 2-6,  You shall love your God.

 Psalm 18,  I love you Lord, my strength

 Hebrews 7, 23-28,  The law appoints men subject to weakness to be priests.

 Mark 12, 28-34,   Which is the first of all the commandments?

 

 

 

Jan our special hostess at her welcome to communion table.

 

 

Deuteronomy observations:

1.  The work is the last of the 5 books of the Pentateuch, following Genesis,  Exodus, Leviticus, & Numbers.

2.  The work is organized as a series of addresses given by Moses to the people of Israel in the land of Moab, where they had stopped at the end of the long wilderness journey and were about to enter and occupy the land of the Canaanites.

3.  The theme of the book is that God has saved and blessed his chosen people, whom he loves.  They are to remember this, and love and obey him.

4. Joshua is commissioned as the next leader of the people, i.e., God's (Yahweh's) people 

 

 

 

Buddy reads our Blessing of The Candles.

  

Pittsburgh

Jerry Rabinowitz, 66, worked as a primary care physician, was deeply active with HIV victims especially when it started, infamous for his bow ties.

Cecil Rosenthal, 59, and his brother David, 54.  Cecil was outgoing & gregarious while David was more self contained.

Richard Gottfried, 65 neighborhood dentist, married with a Catholic wife.

 

 

 

While her brother reads The Blessing, Zoe lights our candles.

 

Irving Youger, 69, when you walked into the synagogue, Irving was the first person who would welcome you and help you find your seat.  He had been a little league coach and a real estate agent.

Daniel Stein, 71, and retired.

Joyce Fienberg, 75, a research specialist at the U. of Pittsburgh, petite with huge personality.

 

 

 

The Offertory Team, Marlene, Bill, & Cindy, all Ekes family.

 

 

Bernice Simon, 84, and her husband Sylvan, 86, considered the sweetest couple who, 62 years ago, wedded in this same synagogue.

Melvin Wax, 88, full of jokes, a passionate Pittsburgh Pirates fan, was always in a good mood.

 

 

 

Sez Leo, "Welcome in, Folks."

 

Rose Mallinger, 97, spry, vibrant, full of life, sharpest wit, with her family being everything in her life.

Judah Samet, 80, Hungarian, was in the parking lot, saw the shooter.  He survived the Nazi holocaust as a child of 6.

 

 

 

 Even with the massacre of Pittsburgh, we will give thanks this month.

 

 

 

You ready to read, Buddy?

 

Readings:  

 Jeremiah 31, 7-9,  The Lord has delivered his people.

Psalm 126,  The Lord has done great things for us, we are filled with joy

 Hebrews 5, 1-6,  Every high priest is taken from among the people.

 Mark 10, 46-52,   Bartimaeus, the blind man.

 

 

 

 

While Emma lights the candles, Buddy reads the Blessing of The Candles, a first time ever for Buddy.

 

Jeremiah observations:

Who:  one of the Big 3 Prophets, 52 chapters, the “broken hearted prophet,” because he hated being so unpopular and having to condemn so much. 

Baruch, Jeremiah’s scribe seems to be who put down the prophet’s message.   Jeremiah probably died in Egypt.

When: put together before & during the B.C., Babylonian Captivity, say 555 before Christ  (reminder, Babylon is near present day Bagdad, Iraq).

Remember, too, that time before Christ is counting downward or backwards.

 

 

 

Our Belief.

 

Interesting Side Note: (another reminder) can you guess when the Genesis story of creation in 7 days was composed?  Biblical research reveals that the creation story was put together during the Captivity, this same time, i.e. ca. 555.

Why?  The priests & prophets (e.g., Ezekiel) of the Jews in captivity determined that the people would not be assimilated into the local gene pool as their cousins in the northern kingdom had done when made to live with the Assyrians.  They decided they would establish customs & religious practices that would make the Jews so different they would not intermarry.  Three special laws were established: 1.  male circumcision; 2. dietary laws and laws about not touching menstruating women; and 3. the Sabbath.

 

 

 

The Healing Touch

 

The priests put together the 7 day creation story to suggest that Yahweh approved of their Sabbath law.  They had Yahweh rest on the 7th day to bolster their demand that all Jews take a day off every 7 days.  Before the Babylonian Captivity there was no legislated Sabbath and no myth of Yahweh creating the world in 7 days with the 7th being a day of rest.  So, now you know when the story was created & by whom, the priests, and why, to keep the Jews united vs the Babylonians.  It worked, even down to today.

Subject of the work: the usual prophet message—condemn, pay, peace.

Today's subject: Beautiful message of peace and consolation.  It is coming.

Sources: Bishop John Shelby Spong, The sins of Scripture; Wikipedia

 

 

 

The Healing Touch for Emma.

 

 

Homily:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks a ton, John, for officiating at our liturgies the 3 Sundays Rosemary & I have been absent.  You are a joy.

 

 

Readings:  

 Isaiah 53, 10-11,  The Lord was pleased to crush him in infirmity.

Psalm 33,  Lord, let your mercy be on us as we place our trust in you..

 Hebrews 4, 14-16, We do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses.

 Mark 10, 35-45, What do you wish me to do for you?

 

 

 

Let the celebration begin: Emma prepares the Candles.

 

 

 Mark:  Greatness is being a servant to all

Homily:  The language used in this Gospel story could just as well be a story about the ‘kingdom of heaven’, ‘kingdom of God’, catch phrases Jesus used to describe his dream for the ideal world. The beatitudes (blessed are the poor in spirit, blessed are the peacemakers…) are another description of Jesus’ dream of what could be. Today another phrase, “be a servant of all”.

 

 

 

 

The Best Team.

 

     The catch in all these phrases that capture Jesus’ vision for us, is that it’s not God bringing it about. Jesus places the responsibility for creating a better life on earth squarely on our shoulders. We are blessed with all the abilities and resources needed to accomplish Jesus’ vision for our life. We have the wherewithal to create the peace and blessings of ‘the kingdom of God’. The decision to do so rests with us.

     Being a ‘servant of all’ is the phrase today’s Gospel uses to describe who the followers of Jesus are.  The big ways we make ourselves servants are more easily seen: like the four women in Dallas who, about 10 years ago, founded an organization to help end sexual violence and to provide comprehensive services for all affected by sexual violence. I thought of a few smaller ways we can be a servant:

 

 

 

Welcome back Kathleen.  Good to see you & your buddy, Sandra.

 

 

First thought, my nephew Merik: last Sunday he and his wife Kathryn, hosted Lambrini and me and Kalliopi, and his mother and her father—our turn to meet baby Henri. Merik was so gracious and open in greeting us, and in allowing us access to Henri, to hold him, carry him, rock him, burp him after he was fed, and setting him in his remote controlled ‘rocking chair’. Knowing we were interested, he showed us around their home and yard, his landscaping and vegetable garden where he gave Kalliopi some mature okra for the seeds.

 

 

 

My Dear Luke, Welcome into The Community & congratulations on your Baptism

 

Second thought, you here: often you return Mass & song books to their boxes, for your people or people on your row; Eucharistic servers try to make sure everyone gets to share in our Eucharistic meal on both sides, before consuming what’s left over;

 

 

 

It must be Halloween and these kids know how to decorate.

Third thought, Freddie, my 7 year old grandson: last week my daughter Joey treated Freddie to his favorite dinner out, sushi, because his older brother, Leo, was at a sleepover.  On leaving the restaurant Freddie took a lollipop, and on the way home he told Joey he was saving it for Leo because Leo missed the sushi treat.  

 

How do you see others and yourself accepting Jesus’ challenge to make his dream come true by being a servant to all?

 

Download IMG_0592

 

 Watch Luke go.  This is what Baptism will do for you.  For the first time ever Luke started crawling.

 

 

 

 

Sez Luke, "Hi, Everybody, Welcome in.  This is my first time here."

 

 

Readings:  

 Numbers 11, 25-29,  Would that all the people of the Lord were prophets.

Psalm 19,  The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart.

 James 5, 1-6, Come now, you rich, weep and wail over your impending miseries.

 Mark 9, 38-43, 45, 47-48,   If your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out

                   

 

 

 

Welcome in, Ben, Cody, and Olivia.

 

 

The Book of Numbers

The fourth book of the Pentateuch.  It leaves us with the impression of a carefully structured and organized religious society moving through history under the sustaining and guiding hand of God.  It is a complex collection of historical, legal and liturgical traditions spanning a period of about a thousand years! 

An outline would identify three broad divisions of the book: The sojourn at Sinai, chapter 1-10 covers the last 19 days the Israelites spent at Sinai. 

(Story of Sinai by bus from Cairo to El Arishe & Tel Aviv.)

 

 

 

 

Pardon me for needing your help, Hue, but even at 78 I need help getting dressed & suited up.

 

 

The second section deals with the journey from Sinai to Moab, chapter 10-22 and covers a span of about 38 years. 

The third section, chapters 22-36, covers events in Moab  over a period of 5 months. 

Today’s reading is from the beginning of the second section, when the people are just starting out on their journey.  Moses is getting concerned with the responsibility of all of the people, so God shares the spirit, which is on Moses among 70 elders, even two who were not part of the group gathered around the Tent.

 

 

 

 

 

The Best Music with Shonda & Ben.

 

 

The Letter of Saint James

This is the final Sunday  (Hooray!) for the second reading to come from the Letter of St. James (Santiago de Compostella), which we have listened to for the past five weeks.  In the reading today the mood is very stark!  “Your wealth has rotted away”.  The audience for this letter is the communities outside of Jerusalem.

Again, remember the letter is a collection of moral observations and instructions, and in today’s reading James’ does not have much that is positive to say about the rich.  The bigger context is to encourage the Christians who are suffering at the hands of the powerful.  James reminds his audience that Jesus is coming again very soon!  Immediately following today’s reading he says “Be patient brothers until the Lord’s coming.”

 

 

 

 

Tori Lights our Candles of the Week.

 

 

If your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out  (the homily that I passed on because I accidentally read the wrong Gospel for today.)

 

Two comments about this line in the reading.

First.  I spent the years 1968-72 studying theology in Toronto.  We had a lot of gray days in Toronto seeing as it is on the northern shore of Lake Ontario.

One of those days, the news came out in the Toronto newspaper, the Globe & Mail, that a young guy had intentionally blinded himself.  Guess why.  Yep, he read this line in Mark and figured his eyes were a source of temptation.  Doing what?  Maybe just girl watching.

I remember all the guys (there were around a hundred of us) were repelled by the news.  There was a gut level response that what this poor guy did was sick.  It was self mutilation combined with religious extremism. 

 

 

 

 

The Offertory Team, Cheryl, Grace, & Diane

 

 

That for me is the negative.  Any way it can be positive?   As a motivator?  Yes.  I’m reminded of how important self motivation is to all of us.  I am reminded by the St. Marks Boy School running by our house in the morning before school.  I am reminded by Tom & Paul & Carrie running their marathons.   I am inspired by Richard losing weight & keeping it off when told he could get diabetic..   I am reminded at the JCC (Jewish Community Center) 6 AM spin class where Haya, a little lady older even than I am who rides with a slightly bummed right shoulder M, W, F. 

I look upon God’s position on this as infinite demand, yes, coupled with infinite acceptance.

What do you need?  Motivation?  Look around you.

 

 

Wake up, Luke, it is time to sing and dance.

 

 

 

 

Harper says, "Welcome in, Everybody."

 

 

Readings:  

 Wisdom 2, 12, 17-20,  The wicked say.

Psalm 54,  The Lord upholds my life.

 James 3, 16-4 3, Where jealousy & selfish ambition exist, there is disorder.

Mark 9, 30-35,  Whoever receives one child.

                   

 

Our Candle Lighter of The Week, Victoria.

 

 

 Wisdom observations:  

What:One of the 14-15 books of the deutero-canonical books of the bible.  Not OT nor NT, but in between and the subject of controversy over the centuries.  The “in between books.”  Were they really part of the bible or not?  How do you know?  Catholic church accepts the books.

Subject matter: the book makes use of traditional Jewish material, as well as ideas borrowed from Greek philosophy, in order to teach that God rewards those who are faithful to him.

 

 

 

Georgie reads the Blessing of the Autumn Candles.

 

 

Author: not Solomon, but a Jew living in Alexandria, Egypt who wrote and spoke excellent Greek.  The book is sometimes called “The Wisdom of Solomon.”

Date: ca. 100-200 before Christ.  How do we know these facts?  Because of text analysis.  For example, while the author wrote in Greek, he uses phrases and expressions that have a Hebrew flavor.  Also, he mentions rulers and places that reveal date and locale. 

Our Selection: what a wicked person thinks should be done with a good person–beat & kill.  This links up with the suffering servant poem from 2 Isaiah last week.  Jews think the good person getting beaten is the Jewish race/nation.  Christians think the person is Christ.

 

James:  presents a pretty negative image of people.  What would be a compassionate image? 

 

 

 

The Best Music, Ben at his Best.

 

 

Says the child, “Numero uno or last??”

This morning I would like to talk about receiving the child. In particular, I would like to focus on the inner child, the child inside all of us, even in old geezers like myself.  

I also want to say a word about the notion of being  first or last.

 

 

 

 

What did you do, Gil?  You got Gene, Bern, and Loretta all laughing.
 

 

 

To exemplify the points, a story.    I have used the story before.  It is too good to bury.   The story, the musical play Most Happy Fella.

The play is about a guy named Tony, middle aged Italian American, successful wine maker from Nappa Valley, and a bachelor.

He eats in a restaurant one evening in, say, Chicago.  He likes the waitress and leaves her a note with his tip, despite his shyness.   They begin a long distance correspondence and start to get close.  Both are looking for partners.

 

 

 

 

The Offertory Team (all characters!): Jan & Sir Charlie, Teresa & Tom (who lost all their checked luggage before they began their cruise.)

 

 They decide to exchange photos.  Tony, who has been taking a lot of risk because he is so shy, is afraid to show her his picture.  He thinks he is too old & too ugly.  So he sends her the photo of his handsome young farm foreman.  The foreman has already told Tony he is planning on moving on anyway.

So Tony and his girl decide to wed at the farm.  On the day of her arrival and the big wedding, Tony discovers that the foreman decided to hang around for the wedding & party.  Tony loses it.  He goes out, rolls his pickup, and almost kills himself. 

 

 

 

Is this not a Full Service Community?  Even to a play room.

 

Meanwhile, the girl arrives and thinks the nice foreman is the groom.  In fact, they get rather enamored of each other.  Then Tony is brought in on a stretcher.  Guess what happens then.  I’ll tell you at the end.

Let me make 2 observations about Tony. 

 

                           

 

A tremendous team when one has parkinsons.

 

 

First, Tony might have had ambitions about being numero uno, but he really thought he was the last, a loser, ugly, and old.  His challenge: get away from thinking best or worst.  Both are traps.  Just accept Tony as okay.

Secondly, when Tony let himself leave the note for the waitress, he was letting his inner child out for a minute.  In his correspondence he was letting that child play.  The child wants to be loved and to play.  Trouble was, the child was not used to getting out and was afraid.   So he tries the picture trick.

 

 

 

 

Happy Birthday to our Dearest Twins.

 

 

I can resemble Tony.  Thinking I am first, numero uno in anything, or last, both are traps.  I would propose it is irrelevant.  I am okay just as I am.

Like Tony I have an inner child.  Want to know what the child wants?  Just watch our kids here.  To be loved and to play.  I think this is what I am doing when I ride my bike across Iowa or in the Hotter N' Hell Hundred, and when I hike around  Yosemite.  These are great times for my inner spirit, that is, my inner child. 

   

 

Happy Birthday, Dearest Georgie.  I remember when you were just a cute little girl.  Now look how pretty you are.  What happened??   Whatever happened, you are a terrific young girl.

 

So, two questions today:

First, where do you think of yourself, first, last, or just okay?

Secondly, how do you let your own inner child out to play? 

What happened to Tony?  He eventually became a most happily married fella.  

 

 

 

 

Happy Birthday, Jackie, and thanks so much for all you do for the community.